Empire: A Family Affair
by Zeta Kizzy
Summary: The rulers of the Saiyan Empire have more to deal with than just political affairs. They have to deal with their own relationship, a whimsical son, a pretentious daughter, and a little thing called sibling rivalry.
1. Chapter 1: You Take Her

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 1: You Take Her**

* * *

_**Planet Earth – East City**_

Queen Bulma rubbed her temples. She was in her main lab on Earth. It was late at night and all the lab technicians had been gone for hours. Only the queen remained, staring at a computer screen. She sighed and turned the screen off.

_I'll fry my retinas if I don't get some sleep_, Bulma thought. She stood and moved towards the entrance. She noticed a white stuffed animal sitting on one of the tables. She sighed and picked it up.

"Bra," Bulma whispered. She squeezed the neck of the demonic-looking thing.

Instead of heading to her chambers, Bulma trekked through the darkened hallways of the East City palace to the conference room. When she arrived, she immediately sent out a call to Vegeta-sei. She knew that it was at least morning in Venova.

_Vegeta should be up_.

* * *

_**Vegeta-sei – Venova**_

King Vegeta was pulled from his morning meditation in his training room by the voice of Raditz. Though it was foggy, Vegeta heard something about the woman being on the transmission and asking for him.

_It should be well after midnight where she is. What could she possibly want_? Vegeta thought as he stood. He followed Raditz to the conference room where Bulma's tired face awaited.

"Leave us," Vegeta said. Everyone vacated the room hastily. Vegeta glanced at Bulma. "Why aren't you resting, woman?" he asked tersely. Bulma frowned.

"Hello, Vegeta. It's nice to see you, too." She looked away from him for a moment. "I was working, if you must know."

"You'll work yourself to death, woman. I can tell that you haven't been resting properly. It's not healthy," Vegeta said. Bulma looked back at him.

"Is that so? Well, I don't recall asking for your opinion on my workload. I don't want your opinion on my workload and how I deal with it, either. 'Kay? I don't tell you how to conduct your diplomatic meetings, do I?"

"Woman..."

"I didn't call to debate this, Vegeta. I called to talk about your daughter," Bulma said. Vegeta blinked.

Ten years ago, Bulma had wanted another child. That was when Trunks was five. It took Bulma until Trunks was eleven to conceive. By then, Vegeta had begun a five-year diplomatic trek across the galaxy. Trunks was still also in his training on Vegeta-sei. Now, Trunks was fifteen and in his final year in training.

Vegeta had missed the birth of their daughter, Bra. When he had finally met the child, she was already a year old. Needless to say, Bulma was none too happy with the situation. What confused everyone was that while Vegeta only saw Bra at the most twice a year, the child was absolutely taken with him. Her adoration for him knew no limits.

"What about her?" Vegeta asked while trying to sound as if he did not care. Bulma could tell this was a front; Bra was his pride and joy.

"She's getting a little out of control here. Do you know what it's like for her nanny trying to control a hyperactive half-Saiyan four-year-old? I thought Trunks, Goten, and Gohan were bad at this age. Bra makes them look like saints," Bulma complained. Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Trunks and his buddy were mischievous. He was just naughty. Bra likes to try and pick fights with anything and everything. You remember how Trunks used to destroy his stuffed animals?" Bulma watched Vegeta nod slowly. "Bra hasn't grown out of that phase yet. She not only destroys them, she shreds them into pieces and leaves their insides hanging out. She even got hold of one of my sharp tools and went to town on every pillow in the West City palace's living quarters. There was cotton everywhere. You know what she told me afterwards?"

"What?"

"_I just want to see the insides_," Bulma said in her sweetest voice. Vegeta could not hide his smirk, so he looked away. Bulma frowned. "She likes to pick fights with my techs and even some of the Saiyan guards you put on duty here. She needs discipline, Vegeta. Not boxing gloves."

"She's four, woman. It's time that she starts the training program," Vegeta said. Bulma shook her head. "Woman, she's Saiyan..."

"_**HALF**_-Saiyan, Vegeta. She's also a princess." Then Bulma shrugged. "Unless you want your baby fighting in wars..."

Vegeta blinked and glared at Bulma. It was a cheap shot that she pulled, but he did not want to see his daughter involved in any type of bloodshed. He'd rather see her follow in her mother's footsteps or have her married off. He noticed the thoughtful expression spread over Bulma's face.

"What are you pondering, woman?"

"You've always said that Trunks is more human than Saiyan." Bulma brought Vegeta back into her focus. "I think Bra is more Saiyan than human."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes."

"Do you think she wants to be trained?"

"I'm not sending her to train, Vegeta. She's just a baby."

"Woman, she doesn't have to go to the army. When she turns sixteen, she can decide that for herself. Right now, she just needs to learn to harness all this excess energy you say she has. Why don't I ever see it?" Vegeta asked.

"Because she's always the perfect little angel when you're around," Bulma muttered. "Besides, Bra misses her 'Daddy' dreadfully." Bulma smiled at Vegeta.

Vegeta frowned. He had been bewildered when the name had come from Bra's mouth. Trunks had always called him "Father." Naturally, Vegeta had ignored Bra until she started crying bloody murder. The way Bra said the name was so inexplicably endearing that Vegeta would move the stars if she asked.

"Fine. Just know that just because she's the princess of the Empire doesn't mean she gets special treatment," Vegeta said. Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She'll get no special treatment while she's in boot camp. She'll get her ass kicked just like everyone else." Vegeta looked thoughtful. "In fact, they're likely to be harder on her than anyone else. I'm surprised the boy has the temperament that he does."

"They'll be harder on her because she's the princess?" Bulma asked. Vegeta nodded. "Why?"

"You don't want a weak monarch, do you? I think the bratling might have an even tougher time than the boy, though."

"Why?"

"Two reasons. She'll get hassled like Trunks did for her coloring, of course. But, the second is because she is a female. She'll constantly be picked on."

Bulma did not appear too worried about this. After all, Bra was as tough as they came. She took almost nothing lying down. In fact, Bulma was more concerned with those who would make fun of her daughter.

"When should I send her? She probably won't want to leave me here..." Bulma thought of her daughter's separation anxiety. For some reason, the child got anxious about almost anything. Bulma looked away from the screen and got lost in her thoughts. Vegeta noticed this and cleared his throat loudly. Bulma snapped her head towards him. "Hm?"

"Go to sleep, woman. And stop working so much. The galaxy can deal without you trying to kill yourself with so much of it," Vegeta said. Bulma scrunched up her face.

"You're definitely one to talk, Mr. I-Love-War." Bulma crossed her arms. "Killed anyone lately?" she asked. Vegeta smirked and leaned forward.

"No, but I can definitely change that. I can start with my own wife if she doesn't go get some rest."

"Your threats don't work on me, sweetness." Bulma unfolded her arms and stretched while yawning. "This is why I can't be around you for too long. I'll go crazy."

"You know you miss me," Vegeta said. Bulma looked at him wearily. It was true; she missed him a lot and she was sure he missed her, too. Both were entirely too stubborn to admit it, though. So, she simply stuck her nose in the air and turned her head away. Vegeta, hoping for some sort of rebuttal, frowned and did the same. "When are you sending the girl?"

"I really wish you would refer to our children like they are our children, Vegeta," Bulma said.

"They don't seem to mind it. Why should you? I don't ever say your name." Vegeta glanced back at her. Bulma was shaking her head. Vegeta sighed. "Just tell me when you're sending her."

"I'll send her tomorrow, meaning she'll be there in a week. She'll be coming with a few attendants. I warn you; she bites," Bulma said while winking. Vegeta shook his head.

"Woman. Sleep. Now," Vegeta said sternly. Bulma nodded.

"Okay, okay. Stop repeating it to me." Bulma yawned. "G'night, Vegeta." Bulma's face disappeared from the screen.

Vegeta stared at the black screen for a moment before turning to leave the empty room. He went to find one of the older servants. He found the one called Khia. Khia was one of the older women who worked in the palace. She trained the ladies-in-waiting for Bulma. She was also a no-nonsense type.

_Perfect_, Vegeta thought. He cleared his throat when he found Khia ordering some of the new ladies around. Khia turned around to face him. She just stared at him like he was the one who should show him the respect. The ladies behind her all bowed in respect, though.

"Yes, your majesty?" Khia asked. Vegeta folded his arms over his chest.

"The princess will be coming to stay with us for a while before she starts training. She will arrive within a week. Ready her suite for her," Vegeta said stiffly. Khia nodded. She turned towards a few of the ladies and moved her head. Three of them ran off quickly towards the living quarters to do as Vegeta asked. Khia looked back at Vegeta.

"Will Princess Bra be requiring an escort of any kind?" Khia asked. Vegeta smirked.

"That's where you come in," he said. Khia raised an eyebrow.

* * *

Back on Earth, Bulma was snuggled up in her big white comforter and soft pillows. She was sleeping quite soundly when a loud, blue-haired four-year-old tore through the bedroom doors at the speed of light. She was waving something in her hand and giggling loudly. She jumped on her mother's bed and shook her awake. Bulma groaned in protest.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look it!" Bra yelled. She held up her new prize.

"Bra, you must have spontaneously combusted and are burning uncontrollably. I have to be the only person in this entire palace that can put you out." Bulma sat up slowly to see Bra's three attendants finally catching up with her. They noticed the angry queen. "Because that is the only conceivable reason that you would be waking me up this damn early in the fucking morning!" Bulma yelled. She looked down at the giggling little girl.

"Mommy said fucking," Bra said with a big grin. Bulma sighed; she could not stay mad at her daughter. Then she noticed the red splotches all over her white sheets. Then she saw Bra's clothing. Then she noticed Bra's hands and what she was squeezing.

"Sweetie, what are you holding?" Bulma asked. Bra opened her hands to reveal a few severed fingers. Bulma gasped. She looked at Bra's attendants. One of them was holding a hand that was wrapped in gauze. Bulma looked back down at Bra, who was still giggling. "Bra, how did you do that?" she asked. Bra held up a hand.

"Like this." Bra pointed at the wall and shot an energy beam. Bulma grabbed Bra's hand and lowered it with a laugh.

"That's enough, sweetie." Bulma looked at Bra's attendant. "Give Daria back her fingers."

"But I want'em," Bra said with a pout. Bulma sighed and snatched the fingers away from Bra. Bra frowned as she watched her mother hand Daria back her severed fingers.

"What do you say, Bra?" Bulma looked down at Bra. Bra crossed her arms. Bulma shook her daughter gently. "Bra?"

"I'm sorry," Bra mumbled.

"Apology accepted," Daria said through clenched teeth. She scurried away to get her hand fixed.

Bulma sat Bra on the floor and looked at her daughter. The child's clothes were smudged with blood, as were her face and hands. The odd thing was that she did not seem to mind. At this age, Trunks had been afraid of mosquito bites. Bra was already cutting off limbs.

The half-Saiyan princess could no longer reside on Earth. At least until her power was brought under control.

_I have to rethink letting her attendants go with her. She might kill them on the way there_, Bulma thought. _No, she's not that violent. Just... misunderstood_.

"Bra, let's get you changed. I have a surprise for you," Bulma said. Bra's blue eyes lit up.

"A surprise? Really?"

"Yep. It has to do with Daddy, too."

* * *

An hour later, after Bulma had finally gotten her daughter bathed and dressed, she told her what the surprise was. She did this as they were walking towards the ship that would take Bra to Vegeta-sei. Once Bulma showed Bra her very own ship, the child was happy as can be. Then Bulma told her that she would not be tagging along for the ride.

That was when the tears came.

"I don't wanna go without you, Mommy!" Bra cried, hugging the white stuffed animal she held dear. Bulma smiled.

"I'll call you every day while you're in space. I'll even call you once you get there. Plus, I won't be here all the time. I'll be here only sometimes," Bulma said. Bra wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled.

"You will come to Daddy's planet?" she asked.

"Of course. It's my planet, too. I live there as well. I have to see you and your big brother," Bulma said. Bra's face brightened considerably.

"Trunks is there?" she asked. Bulma nodded.

_Got her! I knew she'd go for the Trunks card_, she thought.

"Yep. He'll want to see you, too. So be a good girl on the ride. No destroying things or cutting off fingers, Bra. I will tell Daddy if you are a bad girl and Daddy won't be happy if he hears that you have been mischievous," Bulma said. Bra nodded.

"What about my nannies?"

"Mina will be accompanying you. That is all. Now, your ship will leave you if you don't hurry. Give Mommy a hug." Bulma reached out for Bra. Bra hugged her mother tightly. Bulma tried to let go, but Bra held fast. "Bra honey, let Mommy go," Bulma said.

"Mommy, I don't wanna leave!" Bra cried. Bulma sighed and picked her up. She looked at Bra.

"Listen, sweetie. Mommy will come to Vegeta-sei really soon. Right now, she just has to take care of some things here. That is all. Daddy will take care of you on Vegeta-sei. You know Daddy loves you, right?" Bra nodded. "Well, Daddy won't let anything happen to you while Mommy's not there. Besides, I'm sure Daddy will teach you how to shoot big, big blasts," Bulma said with a laugh. Bra smiled.

"Really?" she asked. Bulma nodded.

"Yep." She put Bra down. "Now, go get on the ship. Mommy will call you soon."

"Do you promise?" Bra asked as she took Mina's hand. Mina started to guide her towards the ship.

"Of course, sweetie."

Bulma watched her daughter enter the ship. She felt her eyes starting to tear. She quickly wiped the tears away. Then she noticed someone holding a handkerchief out to her. Bulma looked up and saw Brolly standing there. Bulma took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

"I'm going to miss my baby, Brolly," Bulma said. Brolly nodded. Bulma turned to go back inside as the ship took off. "It's going to be so much quieter around here. Did you know she blasted one of her attendants' fingers off this morning? Classic," she said.

"Seriously?" Brolly asked. Bulma nodded.

"She is definitely her father's child."

* * *

A week later, Vegeta stood outside in the yard, watching a large ship land. Why had Bulma seen fit to put a four-year-old on such a large ship? He looked to his right. Khia was standing next to him. Her face was the picture of austerity. With a sly smirk, he looked back at the large ship.

_How much has the woman indulged the girl_? Vegeta thought with a frown. The ship opened and three very exasperated guards exited. They stopped in front of Vegeta and bowed.

"We present to you Bra, the princ..."

"Say it right!" a high-pitched voice screamed from the ship. Vegeta rarely would entertain such stupidity, but he wanted to see if the soldiers would actually obey. He put up a hand to stop Khia from halting the frivolous act. The soldiers sighed and one fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"We present to you Bra, the prettiest princess in the universe." The guards stepped to the side, revealing the blue-haired demi-Saiyan and her nanny.

_Satan in the form of a child_, Vegeta mused. Bra was the image of Bulma in a four-year-old's body. Her long blue hair was in curly ringlets. She smiled happily up at her father.

"Hi, Daddy!" she squealed. Vegeta's eye twitched and fell on the large, white thing she was dragging behind her. It was nearly the same size as she was. It had an almost demonic feel to it but because it was white, one had to assume it was a children's toy.

_How is that even possible_? Vegeta asked himself.

"What the hell is that?" Vegeta asked, pointing to it. Bra held the white thing up with ease.

"This is my favorite toy in the whole world. It's my bear. My nanny Mina gave it to me." Bra motioned to Mina. "This is my nanny from Earth, Mina, but I call her Mimi."

Vegeta took a lingering look of disgust at the stuffed toy. Then he looked at Mina. Mina cowered slightly under his gaze. Vegeta then glanced back down at his daughter. She was fixing some of the fuzz on the gigantic bear. This spoiled creature before him could not possibly be his offspring. He turned towards the maddened guards.

"You three may return to Earth. The princess will be receiving new guards." Before the sentence was even completely out of Vegeta's mouth, Vegeta felt something tugging at his right arm. He looked down to see Bra holding on to him. "What?"

"I don't want them to go," Bra whined, on the verge of tears.

"Tough." Vegeta nodded at the soldiers who did everything short of running back to the ship. Vegeta was not quite prepared for the high-pitched shriek that Bra emitted thereafter. He looked down at her. She was only making noise; there were absolutely no tears. Not a single one.

"You can't send them back! I want them!" she screamed. Vegeta opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, a blur of black passed him. Bra's cries were halted as Khia lifted the child off of her feet by the collar of her dress.

"A little less noise and a little more shut the hell up!" Khia yelled. Bra stared blankly into the strange Saiyan woman's eyes. "Saiyan princesses do not whimper and screech. I have seen babies cry less in a day than you have in five minutes." Khia dropped Bra unceremoniously on the ground and Mina helped her up. Khia crossed her arms. She glared down at the teddy bear.

"Khia, take the girl to her quarters and make sure she's settled. Get her out of that frilly thing, too," Vegeta said. Khia nodded. Bra looked up at the sinister-looking woman again. Then she looked at Vegeta. Vegeta inclined his head and Bra followed after Khia with Mina in tow.

Vegeta stood on the concrete for a moment before heading back inside. He immediately sent out a call to his wife. When Bulma's face popped up on the screen, he took a deep breath.

"_**WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER**_?!" he yelled. Bulma simply smiled.

"She's a monster, isn't she?"

"Understatement."

"Well, fix her to your liking, oh mighty one. I literally had to pry her off of me to get her on the damn ship. I won't tell you what she did to one of her poor attendants. That's why she's only up there with one."

"That child is monstrous. She starts the boot camp next week. When will you be back here?" Vegeta asked.

"In a month. I just have to wait until the delegation gets out of session. Then I can put Seventeen in charge and leave." Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you finally miss me?"

"No. I was just," Vegeta paused, "curious."

"Sure. Well, I miss you." Bulma crossed her arms. She saw the smirk cross Vegeta's face. "Yes. I caved in first. After five years, I finally said it. I miss you. There, are you happy?"

"I wasn't aware that this was a contest," Vegeta lied.

"Whatever." Bulma cut the transmission. She stared at the blank screen for a moment. "Jerk," she whispered.

* * *

One week later, in Venova, Vegeta had found that Bra adjusted rather well to life on Vegeta-sei. She was more curious than mischievous. She tagged after her father, wanting to know everything he did. She even watched him train and tried to mimic him when it came to the energy blasts. Bra did seem to have a problem with authority, though. She constantly told Khia to "kiss off," a phrase she had learned from Trunks and Goten. She also had an extreme superiority complex and some sort of separation anxiety. To put it simply, the child was an enigma.

The morning of Bra's departure to boot camp, she walked into her bedroom after her morning bath. Just Khia was waiting there, which was odd. Normally, only Mina was there, ready to dress her. Bra looked at her bed. A navy blue body suit was laid out for her.

"Good morning, your highness. Your father is taking you somewhere today," Khia said. Bra looked disdainfully at her wardrobe for the day. Then she looked at Khia.

"Aren't you going to dress me?" she asked. Khia's eyebrows furrowed and she cleared her throat.

"My apologies, your highness, but King Vegeta informed me that you are perfectly capable of dressing yourself. Where you're going, you'll definitely need that skill," she said. Bra gave Khia a scowl that would have put Vegeta to shame. "You should not keep your father waiting."

Bra silently dressed herself. She wrapped her blue tail around her waist. Khia came up behind her and braided her hair for her. It was quite different from the way Mina did her hair. While Mina's hands were always soft and delicate, Khia worked her hair quite rough. Khia handed the princess a pair of white gloves and boots. Bra put them on and followed Khia out.

* * *

Vegeta was staring up at the sky of Vegeta-sei. He was just outside the training grounds. The clouds were beginning to part. If one was superstitious, that meant that the day would be a good day. He smirked and turned around when he heard the pitter-patter of little feet. He saw his daughter approaching. Bra's sullen look seemed to disappear when she saw her father standing there. She walked faster over to him and stopped just before she got to him.

"Hi, Daddy!" she said loudly. Vegeta winced.

_Why does she feel the need to squeak every time she sees me_? he asked himself. He shook his head and opened his eyes.

"Where are we going?"

"You're going somewhere very, very special." He turned to face the entrance to the training grounds. He heard Bra sniff. He looked down and saw her wrinkle her nose just like Bulma. He shook his head. "Something wrong, princess?"

"It stinks, Daddy. What is this place?" Bra asked. Vegeta walked forward. Bra followed after him, staying under his cape.

"This is where you become strong, princess."

"But you said I'm already strong, Daddy."

"Stronger, princess. Don't you want to get stronger?" Vegeta looked down. The blue-eyed princess was nodding fervently.

Vegeta took her all the way to the back of the training grounds. There, a group of young Saiyan girls around Bra's age were sitting on the muddy ground. They were all dressed similarly to Bra. Bra stuck closer to her father as they all turned to look at her. A woman at the front noticed Vegeta and came over to him.

"Your majesty, is this the princess?" she asked while looking down at Bra. Bra hid behind Vegeta, squeezing his leg. Vegeta sighed and looked down at her.

"Yes, this is she." He looked back up at the woman. "No special treatment at all. She gets treated the same as everyone else. If she throws a tantrum, discipline her the same as anyone else. Only come for me if it's a real emergency."

"What constitutes a real emergency, sire?"

"I don't know. If she kills one of her classmates, that's a real emergency. If she loses a limb, that's a real emergency. Are we clear?" Vegeta asked. The woman nodded. Vegeta pried Bra off of his leg and kneeled down to look at her. "You're going to stay here for a while and train, princess."

Vegeta watched Bra's whole demeanor change in a quarter of a second. He could see the oncoming tantrum, but he decided to let it start so that Bra's new teacher could see what one looked like. Bra started to scream and scratch at her father's arms.

"But, I wanna stay with you!" she yelled. Vegeta frowned.

"Hey!" he said firmly. Bra stopped and looked at her father. "Your hissy fits don't work on me, brat. Now, do as you're told. You'll be allowed to see me every couple of months. Trunks had to do this. Now it's your turn." Vegeta turned Bra around so that she could face her peers. They were all looking at her with wide eyes. "Now go." He pushed her forward a bit. Bra started to walk forward slowly, still sniffling.

Vegeta watched Bra go and sit down next to her peers. Then he turned around and left without looking back. He knew that Bra had looked back at him. If he had looked back at her, he probably would have been compelled to oblige her and bring her home. He was not about to be sucked into that trap.


	2. Chapter 2: Dangly Parts

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 2: Dangly Parts**

* * *

A lavender-haired teenager watched as his best friend took one to the jaw. Then he took another one to the gut. He managed to stand upright and shook the blows off quickly. He got into his fighting stance only to be kicked into the dirt on his backside. Before he could stand up, his sparring partner was on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

"Enough!" their teacher yelled.

Goten watched as his sparring partner, a girl named Paris, removed herself from on top of him. She held out her hand and helped him up. Before Goten could say anything to her, she walked away to the other side of the yard. Goten sighed and moved over to his best friend, Prince Trunks.

"You so let her beat you," Trunks said. Goten shrugged.

"No, I didn't. She won fair and square," Goten lied. Trunks cackled loudly.

"Ha! You're lying. You didn't even defend yourself, you jerk. You so could've killed her." Trunks narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me you've got a thing for her."

"No, I don't. I just think she's," Goten looked over at Paris, "cute. That's all."

"Whatever. If a chick was kicking my ass, I have the right to kick hers," Trunks said. Goten laughed.

"That's because you're the prince, dodo."

"And don't you forget it." Trunks glanced over at their teacher. He was going on about something, but Trunks was not listening. Instead, he looked around the yard. Lately, their class had been thinning out slowly. A lot of the students had been leaving for the army early. Trunks had no real desire to join the army, but he knew it was probably expected of him. He felt Goten shove him lightly.

"Let's go, Trunks. We were just dismissed." Goten was standing. Trunks followed suit and they left the yard together.

As they traveled towards the barracks, they noticed a group of little kids gathered together in another yard. They were yelling and cheering on what looked to be like a fight. There were no adults around to stop it. Trunks looked at Goten.

"What do you suppose that's about?" Trunks asked. Goten shrugged.

"Dunno. Let's check it out," Goten said. Trunks nodded and they moved towards the group of cheering kids.

As they got closer, Trunks and Goten saw over a few of the kids' heads. Trunks caught a glimpse of aqua blue. Then he saw red and black. Then both he and Goten just paused in absolute amazement.

In the center of the cheering students, Bra was fighting with a girl her age. The four-year-olds were covered in dirt and blood. It took a moment for both teenagers to recognize what was happening. Then Trunks shook out of his stupor and went forward. Goten followed suit. He pulled Bra off of the girl she was pummeling in the face. Goten dragged the other one that was kicking Bra back and tried to hold her back from getting at the princess.

"Bra, calm down! It's me!" Trunks yelled. The other children seemed to recognize who Trunks was and their cheering calmed. Trunks was like a god to them. They started to disperse quickly and quietly. Bra stopped fighting in her brother's arms, but she did not stop growling and glaring maliciously at the other girl. "Now, what happened?" Trunks asked.

"She pulled my braid and called me Water Head," Bra said. Goten raised an eyebrow. He looked down at the girl he was holding.

"Water Head? That's the best you could come up with? I had better names for Tru..."

"Goten, this isn't a contest," Trunks said. Goten nodded. "Take her to the infirmary to get her fixed up. I'll deal with my sister," he said. Goten nodded and carried the other girl off. Bra gave her one last malevolent look. When they were gone, she rubbed her arm where a nasty bruise was starting to form.

"Are you going to tell Daddy that I was fighting?" she asked quietly and without looking at her older brother. Trunks turned her around.

"No," he said. He looked at her bruises. "But you can't fight everyone who makes fun of you and pulls your braid. You'll get into a lot of fights if you do that. Take it out on them when you spar. Okay?" Trunks said. Bra smiled and nodded. "Let's go get you fixed up before Father sees you."

* * *

After making sure there were no reprisals of her fight, Trunks and Goten waited until after dinner to sneak out of the barracks. When they got to the front of the training grounds, two people were waiting for them. Trunks noticed in the dark that the dark forms were female.

"Hey, Paris," Goten whispered as they made it to the front. Trunks frowned and stepped up to Goten.

"Goten, what the hell is she doing here?" he whispered. Paris glared at Trunks.

"Me and Liss can go back if we aren't wanted in the presence of _**HIS**_ majesty," Paris said. Goten shook his head zealously. Trunks just glared at Paris in the dark; he had a deep distaste for the girl and let her know it every chance he got.

"That's not it, Paris. I just never got around to telling him that you two were coming. That's all. You and Liss can come. Isn't that right, Trunks?" Goten looked at Trunks. Trunks glared down at his friend. He sighed and walked off through the gates of the training grounds. Goten shook his head. "Follow us, ladies," Goten said.

Trunks led the other three through a hidden path up to the palace entrance. A few guards were on post. They were too busy talking and having a few drinks to notice four teenagers sneaking towards them stealthily. Trunks and Goten took them out quickly and quietly.

"Impressive." Paris looked around. "What happens when someone finds three big guards unconscious at the palace gates?" she asked. Trunks gave her a scowl that rivaled his father.

"Why don't you help hide one of them and shut that hole in your face?" Trunks said while dragging one of the larger guards into a dark corner. Paris frowned and helped Liss roll a fat guard into the darkness. Trunks stepped out of the shadows and looked around. He saw that no lights were on in his parents' bedroom.

_That means absolutely nothing_, he thought. _Better chance it, though. I can sneak around Father_. He had done it before; or at least he thought he had. Trunks faced the other three, who had started to whisper amongst themselves.

"Come on. Let's go." Trunks headed for the large doors.

* * *

Vegeta walked slowly down the halls. Bulma was hanging on his left arm. They were both mildly tipsy and very tired. Bulma started to hum and shifted on his arm. Vegeta felt her roll back. He watched her catch herself and she started to laugh loudly. She stopped suddenly, as if recognizing that the loud, unattractive cackle that echoed throughout the halls belonged to her.

"Was that really me?" she whispered, looking at Vegeta.

"Yes, woman. You sound horrible when you're drunk and you laugh," Vegeta said dryly. Bulma stared at him for a moment more before starting to walk again.

"I don't sound horrible. I sound," Bulma thought for a moment, "special."

"Yes. You sound _**VERY**_ special," Vegeta said. Bulma blinked. She let go of Vegeta, who was smirking mischievously. Bulma crossed her arms. She glared at him, trying to save face.

"Yes. Well, I suppose I set myself up for that one." Bulma started to walk again. This time, she was on the other side of the hallway. Before she knew what had happened, she was kissing the marble floor. Vegeta was at her side in a moment. Bulma sat up and rubbed her head. "I tripped over something," she murmured.

Vegeta looked back at Bulma's feet. Her left foot had caught on to a boot. But, the boot was still on someone's leg. Bulma stood up quickly. Vegeta pushed her behind him and approached the leg. He looked in the alcove and saw an unconscious guard. In fact, there were several unconscious guards stuffed into this one alcove. Vegeta frowned.

"Vegeta, what is this?" Bulma asked. Vegeta sighed.

"Your precious son and his ridiculous friend." Vegeta turned around, immediately sobering up. He nearly knocked Bulma over as he walked past her. "Go back to the chambers, woman. I'm going to find the boy."

"No. I want to see..." Bulma let out a yawn. Vegeta rolled his eyes. Bulma shook her head and flounced past him. "I'm coming, Vegeta. Where is he?"

"If I had to guess, he's in that sauna you had installed," Vegeta said quietly.

That sobered the queen up quick, fast, and in a hurry.

* * *

Trunks, Goten, Paris, and Liss were sitting in the underground sauna. They had managed to take out at least ten guards on their way down to the sauna. They had also managed to avoid Trunks' mildly drunk parents. Now, they sat in the gigantic sauna, relaxing and eating all kinds of food.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" Liss asked, looking around nervously. Trunks and Goten laughed.

"We haven't gotten in trouble yet. Goten and I do this all the time. We've never gotten caught once," Trunks said. Liss nodded.

"Goten, you let me win today," Paris said. Goten looked up out of the water.

"No, I didn't," Goten said quickly. Trunks shook his head.

"I said the same thing, Paris. He didn't even defend himself," he said. Paris crossed her arms.

"I want a rematch. Tomorrow. Before dinner. No holds barred. I want you to fight me for real this time. Deal?" Paris said. Goten glared at Trunks. Trunks just shrugged. Goten looked back at Paris.

"Fine. But, I you really don't want to fight me," Goten said. Paris and Trunks laughed.

"Why? You can't possibly be that strong. I'm the strongest female in our division. I think I'm due for a challenge," she said. Trunks just kept snickering. Paris glanced over at him. "What's your problem?"

"You have no idea what you're in for," Trunks said through fits of laughter. He relaxed back on the edge of the bath and spread his arms out.

"Oh, I think I do." Paris let her hair down and dipped under the water.

Goten looked over at the plate of goodies they had swiped from the kitchen. Just as Goten reached for it, he caught sight of a face he did not want to see. He tapped Trunks. Trunks looked at Goten. Goten pointed behind Trunks. Trunks twisted his head around to see his mother standing at the top of the stairs, glaring maliciously down at him.

"Hello, boys. Made yourself right at home, I see," Bulma said. She descended the steps slowly. Trunks and Goten opened their mouths to speak but were silenced when they saw the next person come down after Bulma: Vegeta. They swallowed their words immediately. Bulma just smirked at their hesitance. "You brought a friend, too."

"A friend?" Goten croaked. He turned his head and saw Liss. The girl was frozen in her spot. She had lowered herself in the water a little to cover herself. Both Vegeta and Bulma raised eyebrows when they saw a head rise out of the water right in front of Trunks.

"Sorry, Trunks. I think I have something in my eye. I can't see a damn thing," Paris said. She was rubbing her right eye furiously. She was oblivious to the fact that both the king and queen were in front of her and she was flashing them. She also had no idea what it looked like to the outsider when she just rose from the water like she had; especially to the Crown Prince of Vegeta-sei's mother. "Could you hand me a towel so I can wipe my face?"

"_**AHEM**_!" Bulma cleared her throat loudly. Paris turned her head to look at Bulma and Vegeta with her left eye. She almost choked on her own saliva and immediately sunk into the pool to cover her nakedness. Bulma gave the girl an evil glare before walking over to the table of towels. She picked a few up and threw some to both of the girls. "Now get the hell out of my bath," she said calmly.

"Yes, your majesty," Liss and Paris said quickly. They scrambled to their clothes and pulled on their boots. They bowed as they passed Vegeta and left, still wrapped in towels. Bulma watched the girls go before turning her menacing glare towards Trunks and Goten.

"An explanation, gentlemen?" Bulma asked. She was still moderately intoxicated, but she was not going to miss out on disciplining these two. She tried to focus on the two of them and not the green water. They just sat staring at her, mouths gaping.

"The woman asked you two a question. I don't have to beat it out of you, do I?" Vegeta spoke finally. He approached slowly from behind Bulma. Trunks and Goten shook their heads. They had been on the receiving end of Vegeta's version of "discipline." It had not been pretty. "Answer her."

"Well, we were sore. So, we wanted to just soak for a little while. That's all," Trunks said quickly. He looked at Goten. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah. That's all, Miss Bulma," Goten said.

"And those girls? Who were they? And what was one of them doing underwater?" Bulma asked.

"They were just some girls from our division. We invited them to come," Trunks said, looking at Goten. Goten sank back in the bath a little. Trunks then looked back at his mother. Bulma crossed her arms.

"You forgot one question. What was one of them doing underwater?"

"Oh. I don't know. Right before you came down here she went underwater. I guess she wanted to get her hair wet," Trunks said. Vegeta snorted from behind Bulma. Bulma turned and gave him the evil eye. Then she looked back down at Trunks.

_He has no reason to lie. Besides, he looked genuinely shocked that she came up_, she thought. _But, then again, that's why he could've looked shocked. After all, we did walk in on them. _She looked down and saw her stash of chocolate. She picked up the plate.

"Get out of that bath. I'll let your father decide what to do with you two. Stay away from my damn chocolate." Bulma put a piece in her mouth. "And Goten?"

"Yes, Miss Bulma?"

"I'm telling Chichi." Bulma gave Trunks one last condescending look before leaving. Trunks felt guilt wash all over him. He had never been caught by his mother before; just his father. His father always made a joke of it. But, his mother obviously took it seriously. Especially since there were girls involved.

To Goten, that was the worst punishment known to man. He watched Bulma walk off with the plate of food. She nodded at her husband and then left the sauna.

Vegeta looked at the two teenagers as they climbed out of the bath. They went to the towels and wrapped them around their waists. Vegeta smirked at them. Trunks and Goten appeared worried; between Vegeta and Brolly, it was hard to tell who thought up the worst punishments. It was like a contest between the two.

"I have a good one this time, gentlemen. I just want you two to spar..."

"Oh, Father, no!" Trunks moaned. He had a feeling there was far more to it than that. Vegeta held up a hand, silencing his son. Trunks sighed and put his hands in his wet hair.

"Tomorrow, you two will spar. But, you will spar in the main training yard, naked, in front of your division's females," Vegeta said. Trunks and Goten stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Father, that's disgusting!"

"Yeah, sire. I don't want the girls looking at my... dangly parts," Goten said.

"Well, perhaps you should've thought of that before you let those other two harlots see your _**DANGLY**_ parts a few minutes ago." Vegeta turned his back on them. "Besides, in the ancient times, that's exactly how all sparring matches were done: naked and in the mud. Bright and early, boys. Now, get back to the barracks before I string you up by your **_DANGLY_** parts." Vegeta disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

In their bedroom, Vegeta entered to find Bulma still eating chocolate. She looked at Vegeta as he entered. She sat the chocolate aside and let him sit on the bed.

"So, what's their punishment?" she asked. Vegeta laid back and smirked.

"Naked mud sparring in front of every female in their division," he said.

It took Bulma a moment to analyze what he said, but she got it after a moment. Then she started laughing maniacally.

"Nice one, Vegeta. That ought to keep them out of my sauna for good. I wonder if what Trunks said was true. Was that girl really just getting her hair wet?"

"Of course. What else could she have possibly been doing?"

* * *

The next morning, Trunks and Goten waited in the barracks alone. They were wearing robes with nothing under them. Trunks avoided his friend's eyes. Goten, perky as always, did not seem to mind the task at hand.

"Come on, Trunks. It's not _**THAT**_ bad. It's not like we have anything to be ashamed about," he said. Trunks glared at Goten.

"It's just the principle, Goten. This is humiliating. One day I'll be king and then all the women who are my age will know what my... you know, looks like. Not exactly something I want to have at the back of my mind." Trunks crossed his arms over his chest. Then their teacher entered and ordered them out. They both stood and followed him to the main training yard.

The entire 15-16 female division was there, waiting for the two to arrive. When they saw Trunks and Goten, they seemed to hush a bit. Trunks immediately narrowed his eyes at Paris. As he saw it, this was all her fault. She had made his mother think less of him. He just knew it. He could tell by the way Bulma had looked at him the night before.

"I want to kill that girl," Trunks mumbled. Goten stepped up beside him. He followed his line of sight.

"Paris? What did she do?"

"My mom is mad at me because of her. She thinks we were doing something because of her. Now my mom probably doesn't trust me," Trunks said. Goten frowned.

"Hey, don't blame this on Paris. You wanted to go to the sauna, too."

"Let's just get this over with," Trunks said. He stepped away from Goten as they got to the center of the yard. Their teacher stood between them.

"Boys, drop your robes," he said.

Both Trunks and Goten visibly cringed. They untied their robes and took off their robes. Someone ran past and picked them up off of the floor. Trunks and Goten avoided looking at one another. Instead, they tried to block out all the whistles and catcalls that the girls were giving them. Trunks heard Goten snicker. He looked over at his friend.

"Apparently, they like what they see," Goten said. Trunks rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't afraid of that, Goten."

"Boys, stances," their instructor said. They both awkwardly entered their fighting stances. Both looked away from each other, trying not to gag. Then they had to laugh. Their instructor sighed. "On my call."

"Hold on," Trunks said as he got the giggles out of his system. "Okay."

"Ready?" the instructor asked. Both boys nodded. "One. Two. Go!"

* * *

Trunks and Goten began sparring... naked. Vegeta and Bulma watched from a high point across the yard. Chichi and Kakarrot were with them. Chichi and Bulma kept giggling while Vegeta and Kakarrot discussed their fighting techniques. Bulma looked at their husbands.

"How can you two concentrate on their fighting with them looking like that?" she asked through her laughter. Vegeta sighed and glared at her.

"It's really simple, woman. You just try not to look. The other females aren't paying attention to them like that. Although they were at the beginning." Vegeta nearly laughed when he saw the evil looks spread across both Bulma and Chichi's faces as they glared down at the girls. "To think that one day one of those females will be the lucky lady for our son," Vegeta said.

"The hell she will. I would prefer it if Trunks married a human girl. These Saiyan girls are too... fast. Did you see those two he was with yesterday? I'm still a little shaken by what the one who was under the water was doing," Bulma said. Chichi raised an eyebrow.

"Underwater? You didn't say anything about one of them being underwater," she said. Bulma told her about Paris. Chichi's eyes widened. "So there's a skank that's tailing after my Goten, huh?" She looked back out at the group of girls.

"Well, we don't have to worry about Gohan. He found a girl on Earth," Kakarrot said. Bulma smiled.

"Really? That's wonderful. What's her name?" Bulma asked happily. Kakarrot looked thoughtfully up at the sky.

"Vagal? Veda? Vega?"

"It's Videl, Bulma. She's Hercule's daughter. You've met her before. But then Hercule shipped her off to some boarding school. Gohan met her at one of your conventions where her school had a tent. Turns out they have a lot in common," Chichi said. She was frowning.

"Uh oh," Bulma said.

"What?"

"You hate her."

"Yeah. She and Chichi don't exactly get along too well. You know how protective Chichi is of the boys and all. She wasn't too friendly when Gohan brought her over," Kakarrot said.

"I just don't think she's right for Gohan. I think since he's half-Saiyan that maybe he should at least try and find a Saiyan girl first. That's all," Chichi said. Vegeta "hmphed."

"I would've reacted the same way. For once, I'm on the harpy's side," he said. Everyone stared at him in shock. Vegeta looked at them all. "What? Can't I agree with her?"

"It's just that you two never see eye-to-eye. Ever," Bulma said. "But, I think Gohan should be able to choose who he wants. He's twenty-one now, right? So, if it works with Videl, it works. If it doesn't then I think he'll probably take your advice."

They looked back out at the sparring naked boys. They were no longer naked, but covered in mud. Trunks threw a punch. Goten ducked it and tripped Trunks up. Trunks put his hands on the ground and used his feet to kick Goten. His aim was a little off and he instead ended up going for his friend's groin. Goten did not dodge in time and was instead hit. He paused immediately. Vegeta and Kakarrot both winced at the mere sight of the blow Goten took.

* * *

"Ow," was all Goten could say. Trunks stood up and looked down at his friend.

"Ah, right in the nads. Sorry, guy. I swear I was aiming for your gut," he said. "Let me help you up." He held out a hand. Goten shook his head.

"No. I think I'll just lay here for a moment," Goten said hoarsely. All he could feel was pain. Trunks looked over at their instructor. He was approaching them.

"Well, I guess it's over. The winner!" He raised Trunks' arm. Trunks winced, feeling a bit of pain in his ribs. "Bring their robes. Help Goten up."

Trunks helped Goten off of the ground. Goten managed to get his robe around him. He was still feeling the effects of the blow he took. They made it all the way to the infirmary with Goten being supported by Trunks. While they were getting fixed up, their fathers arrived to see them.

"Did you two learn your lesson?" Kakarrot asked. Trunks and Goten looked over at them. Goten nodded slowly while Trunks just looked away from his father.

"Boy," Vegeta said. Trunks finally shot Vegeta a glare. "A superior asked you a question," he said. Trunks looked over at Kakarrot.

"Yes, sir," he said dryly.

"Good. Next time you'll be doing it in the polar regions. That should be hilarious," Kakarrot said. He looked at Vegeta, who smirked.

"Yes, it should. Shrinkage of epic proportions." The two elder Saiyans left their sons alone. When they were gone, Goten laid down on the infirmary's bed. He held his abdomen.

"Let's never sneak into the palace unless absolutely necessary again," he said. "I don't think I can take another kick like that."

"Yeah," Trunks said. He rubbed his aching side. Then he laughed. "The way you went down was classic though. You kind of just... fell."

"Piss off."


	3. Chapter 3: I Want To Be King

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 3: I Want To Be King**

* * *

Bulma watched her daughter as Bra sat alone in the training yard. Bra was busy cleaning mud off of a pair of her boots. She was working silently and diligently. Bulma frowned and walked over to the person in charge of the princess' division. The instructor noticed Bulma and bowed in respect.

"Your majesty! We were not expecting you today. Would you like a demonstration? Or perhaps you want to see your daughter in pri..."

"No. But, I do want to know why my child is sitting by herself like that." Bulma motioned to Bra. She was still scrubbing the white boots. "Doesn't she have any friends?" Bulma asked. The Saiyan woman shrugged.

"Princess Bra is a bit of a loner," she said. Bulma opened her mouth to speak, but the woman continued. "I think she prefers it that way, too. She has the entire division frightened of her. Whenever it's time to pick sparring partners, everyone is afraid to pick the princess."

"Why are they afraid of her?" Bulma glanced at her daughter. The instructor opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

The smaller blue-haired version of Bulma was smiling at her accomplishment of shining her shoes. Just as she finished, someone walked past and accidentally kicked up a little mud. The mud splattered on Bra and her newly shined boots. Bra took one look at the boots and was irate. Her face went from jolly to rage in a quarter of a second.

"Hey! You got mud on my boots!" she yelled. The older boy turned around to face the little girl.

"Tough, squirt," he said with a laugh. He started to walk off again. Bra's frown deepened.

"Just say you're sorry," Bra said.

"Why? It's just mud. Get over yourself," the boy said. He kept going. Bulma shook her head.

_He should've just apologized_, she thought. She watched as Bra squeezed her fists together. She tackled the boy from behind. She grabbed a handful of his hair and rubbed his face in the mud. Bulma sighed. _She is definitely her father's daughter. Trunks was never this violent_.

"Say you're sorry!" Bra yelled as she continued to rub the boy's face in the mud. The boy just sputtered incoherent words every time Bra lifted his head a bit.

"Bra," Bulma said calmly as she approached her daughter. For the first time, Bra noticed her mother. She released the boy and climbed off of him. The boy got up and scrambled away from Bra. He looked up and saw Bulma approaching. He rubbed his eyes, realized it was the queen and bowed. Bulma shooed him away and then looked at her daughter. "Was all that really necessary, sweetie?" Bulma asked. Bra stared at her blankly for a moment. Then she ran towards her mother and clung to her dress, crying.

"I'm sorry, Mommy!" Bra cried. Bulma smiled.

"Aw, Bra honey. Why are you crying? Mommy's not mad at you," she said. Bra did not answer her. She just balled the bottom of Bulma's dress in her little hands and kept crying into it. Bulma rubbed the top of her head. She raised an eyebrow. "Bra?"

_Why is she crying so hard_? Bulma thought. Then it dawned on her. _My baby hasn't seen me in over six months. She probably misses me_. Bulma sighed and picked her daughter up. It took more effort than Bulma thought it would. She was surprised at how heavy she had become in such a short amount of time. Bulma faced her instructor.

"I'm taking the princess with me for tonight. She'll be back in a day or two. I think she needs to see her father," she said. The instructor nodded. Bulma carried Bra off. "You hear that, Bra? We're going to see Daddy."

* * *

Vegeta was looking at a list of new transmissions received from the Universal Alliance. Apparently they wanted him to explain a couple of new developments within his empire. One of them had to do with his income. Apparently, when it came to the Universal Alliance, there was such a thing as making too much money.

Another message was about the princess. It seemed that Bra's role in the monarchy needed to be defined. Just being "princess" was not enough for the Universal Alliance. They wanted her whole life planned out and written in stone. Vegeta, while he could be a cruel man, would never be cruel to his own daughter. He would not plan her life out for her. After all, it was her life to live. The Universal Alliance even went so far as to send a list of available suitors for the princess. Vegeta took one glance at the title of the paper, balled it up, and threw it towards the door of his study.

"Piece of shit fools," Vegeta mumbled.

"Wow. What's got you muttering such obscenities and tossing papers around?" a voice said from the door. Vegeta looked up. Two blue-haired females stood there. One was leaning against the doorframe. The other took off running directly for him. Vegeta braced himself for the impact of Bra landing in his lap.

"Hi, Daddy!" she said loudly in her signature squeak. Vegeta looked at her face. He could see the tear-stains and he frowned. Bra's smile weakened a bit. "Something wrong, Daddy?"

"Have you been crying, brat?" he asked. Bra looked over at Bulma who just looked down at the floor. She picked up Vegeta's discarded paper. "Have you?"

"Yes. I was crying because," Bra paused, "I don't really know why I started to cry," she said. Bulma laughed and walked over to them as she unfurled the paper.

"Her emotions got all twisted up inside when she saw me. Plus, she was giving this mean boy the licking of his life when I caught her." She touched Bra's chin, causing the child to smile. Bulma took a seat across from Vegeta and looked at the paper he tossed. "What's this? A list of eligible bachelors or something?"

"Yes. The alliance sent it to me," Vegeta said. He watched as Bra started to play with some of his pens. Bulma laughed.

"Why would they send a list like this to you? You're a happily married man with two kids," she said.

"They aren't for me. They were for the bratling," Vegeta said. Bulma glared at him.

"What?" Vegeta nodded. "Bra's four! She'll be five next month. All these men are four times her age or older. By the time she's old enough to marry one of them, they'll be ancient. Besides, we're not marrying our daughter off to some foreign alien race," Bulma said.

"I know that, woman. Why do you think that paper was over there where I couldn't see it?" Vegeta snatched it out of her hand and balled it back up. He looked at Bra, who was coloring with a pen on a piece of paper. "If she ends up looking anything like you when she's of age we might have a bit of a problem then," he said.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked.

"Look at her. She looks just like you, woman. She just had to be a girl, didn't she? Princes are so much easier to handle than princesses," Vegeta said. Bulma smirked.

"Afraid of the courtship process, 'Daddy'?" she asked. Vegeta shot her a nasty look. "Well, what will we tell the alliance? You know they'll just continue to hassle us about this," Bulma said. Vegeta sighed. That was when Bra looked up from her drawing.

"I want to be king," she said. Vegeta and Bulma looked at each other. Bulma looked at Bra.

"Sweetie, you can't be king. Trunks has to be king," she said. Bra shook her head.

"_**I**_ want to be king," she said a little louder. Bulma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Bra, dear, you cannot be king. You can only be the prin..." Bulma was stopped by Bra slamming her hands down on the desk. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Bulma watched her daughter with wide eyes. Bra was glaring maliciously at her.

"I'm _**GOING**_ to be _**KING**_!" she yelled. She relaxed back into her father's chest with a lazy smile on her face. Vegeta looked down at her, and then looked up at Bulma. Bulma just threw her hands up.

"You heard the brat. She's going to be king," Vegeta said.

* * *

Trunks continued to throw random objects in his bag. He was supposed to be going away to join the army the next morning, but instead he was leaving a day early. Goten was coming along with him. The training base they were assigned to was on a barren planet called Hadrian 9 on the outskirts of the empire. Trunks had heard that a long time ago, before he was born, his father and Goten's father and uncle had killed every living inhabitant on Hadrian 9. Whether that was true or not was a mystery to Trunks. He did not have the courage to ask his father.

A knock came at his bedroom door. He walked over to it to open it. Goten was standing there. A large brown bag was slung over his left shoulder. He smiled goofily at Trunks. Trunks rolled his eyes and let his friend in.

"You're not packed yet? We're gonna get left, Trunks," Goten said. Trunks shook his head.

"Like they'd leave me." Trunks threw an extra pair of boots in the bag. Then he closed the bag. "Besides, if we did get left behind, I could always just get us another ride. My mom would do anything for me," he said.

"Not this time. If you get left, you're on your own. Your father said no freebies," Bulma said from the door. Goten and Trunks turned to face her. Bulma smiled and waved. "I think you should run and not lollygag." Goten nodded and flew past her. Trunks stopped in front of his mother.

"Bye, Mom," he said. Bulma smiled at him and kissed his forehead.

"Be good. Now run!" She pushed him off. Trunks stumbled for a few feet before gaining his footing. Then he took off in pursuit of Goten. Bulma watched him disappear around the corner before letting loose a long sigh.

_Vegeta's right. I am too sentimental_, she thought. She turned around and headed to her daughter's room.

* * *

Trunks and Goten arrived at the shipyard, huffing and puffing. The rest of their division had already boarded. The two dawdlers stayed outside of the ship for a moment to catch their breath. Goten looked over at Trunks and smiled. Trunks smirked at him. They stood upright and held their bags properly. Just as they got ready to board, they heard a stern voice behind them.

"Punctuality is not one of your strong points is it, boy?" Vegeta asked. Trunks grimaced and turned to face his father. He had tried to make a clean getaway. Somehow, he knew that he would not. His father would catch him before he left; Vegeta had that knack. "As usual, you two are tardy. I should've had Turles leave already, just to teach you a lesson. I know how you hate riding in space pods."

"Sorry, Father. It won't happen again," Trunks said quickly. For some odd reason, he had a deathly phobia of closed spaces. The prince was highly claustrophobic and when he was put in a closed space, he became one of two things: scared to death or extremely violent. It all depended on which part of the blood reacted first; the human in him or the Saiyan.

"I know it won't." Vegeta stepped up to both boys. He looked them both over. Then he set his eyes on Trunks. "Conduct yourself in a manner befitting our family, please," he said. Trunks nodded quickly. Vegeta grunted and both boys turned to board the ship. Vegeta turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

Bulma walked in Bra's room. It was eerily silent. She continued to creep in quietly, not making a sound. Bulma also began to wonder if it was a good idea sneaking up on her daughter. Shrugging off that thought, Bulma navigated her way across the sitting area of Bra's suite.

_She's been back in here for one night and the place is already trashed_, Bulma thought. She shook her head and continued to walk. She made her way to the bedroom. She put her ear to the door. There was no noise at all coming from the room. _I know Bra isn't still asleep. It's past noon. She never sleeps past noon_. Bulma began to knock softly.

"Bra? Are you awake?" she asked through the door. There was no answer or movement from the other side. Bulma sighed. She began to grow worried. She turned the handle on the door and pushed it open.

Bra's normally spotless bedroom was also a mess... already. Bulma stepped over the pillows and stuffed animals that she had brought from Earth. Her daughter had just thrown them from the bed. The terrace doors were thrown open and the curtains were blowing violently. The queen looked around frantically for any sign of her daughter.

_Did something happen to her? Did someone sneak in and take her during the night? Did she sneak out_? Bulma went through a thousand scenarios in her mind. Then she walked over to the giant bed.

Bulma peered into the big comforter and sheets. She saw a mass of aqua hair and a white nightgown. Bulma put a hand to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Bra was still asleep. She was sleeping as though she had not slept in years. Bulma approached the bed and sat down softly. She noticed the way Bra was laying. Her face was buried so deeply in the pillow that it was barely visible. Bulma smiled and moved some of her hair out of her face. She noticed a large bruise peeping through Bra's nightgown. Bulma raised an eyebrow and unbuttoned the back of the nightgown a bit. She opened it to see the nasty bruise the size of one of Bra's fists.

"Before you go into one of your rages, let me tell you that it's perfectly normal for her to have one of those. I assure you that she's probably had much worse than that," a voice said from behind her. Bulma did not even turn.

"You've seen her in worse condition?" she asked through grit teeth.

Vegeta briefly contemplated lying to Bulma. He put it out of his mind, though. He knew she would probably see through his lie immediately and then that would only make her angrier. Besides, she would find out eventually.

"Yes, I have." Vegeta walked up next to Bulma. "She doesn't win every fight she gets into," he said. Bulma frowned and buttoned Bra's nightgown back up. She faced Vegeta.

"Well, she should."

"I believe the only fights she has lost are the ones where she provoked older females. She had to learn the hard way that she would receive no special treatment. You know our daughter is a bit insane when it comes to authority," Vegeta said. Bulma shook her head.

"She not insane. She's just," Bulma looked at Bra, "pathologically exuberant," she said.

"Pathologically exuberant? Woman, what the hell..."

"Shhh! You'll wake her up," Bulma whispered, glaring at Vegeta. Vegeta rolled his eyes. He looked at Bra, whose face was still barely visible in the pillow. He had never seen her in such a deep sleep.

"Woman, the planet blowing up wouldn't wake the child. She's practically dead to the world."

"I know. I've never seen her sleeping so deeply. She's missed breakfast and she's about to miss lunch. She needs to eat, but I don't want to wake her," Bulma said. Vegeta grabbed Bulma's arm. He pulled her to her feet.

"Then don't. Leave the brat be for now." Vegeta led Bulma out of the room.

* * *

As they walked down the halls in silence, the questions that the Universal Alliance had asked came back into Bulma's mind. She looked over at Vegeta. He was steadily walking ahead. He did not seem to be focusing on anything in particular. Bulma raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat. Vegeta looked at her in his peripheral vision.

"What are you going to tell the alliance about Bra? They will want an answer," she said. Vegeta just took a slow, deep breath.

"I could just tell them to go fuck themselves. That answer's worked for years. I see nothing wrong with using it now," he said. Bulma shook her head. "I suppose I could give them the brat's answer. She said that she wanted to be king."

"Vegeta! You and I both know that that isn't possible. Bra cannot rule," Bulma said. Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Why can't she?" he asked. Bulma stopped walking and looked at him. It took a moment for Vegeta to realize that Bulma was not at his side. He turned around and looked at her. She was staring at him with enlarged eyes. "What, woman? Why are you staring at me like a fish out of water?"

"Do you really want Bra to rule the empire? You'd be giving away Trunks' birthright," Bulma said quietly. Vegeta stared at her for a moment. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Woman, do you really believe that I would do that? The boy is the heir. Besides, he is also the firstborn son. Unless he gives up his right to rule, the crown still belongs to him," Vegeta smirked and pulled Bulma to him, "eventually."

"Wait a minute. That means Trunks will have to kill you," Bulma said slowly. Vegeta appeared thoughtful for a moment as he glanced up at the ceiling.

"Yes. Yes it does. I seemed to have forgotten all about that little tradition," he said. He started to walk again. Bulma did not come along with him. Vegeta sighed and faced her again. "Woman, what's wrong now?"

"Vegeta, that doesn't bother you? I don't want my son killing his father! That's barbaric!"

"I don't seem to remember you having a problem with it when I did away with my father," Vegeta said insensitively. He mentally kicked himself after seeing the look on Bulma's face once the words were out of his mouth. Her expression changed quickly and she narrowed her eyes at Vegeta.

"Circumstances were quite different back then, _**KING**_ Vegeta. That King Vegeta deserved what he got. Trunks will be eighteen in two years. On Earth, he's legally allowed to become king. What's the age here?" Bulma asked.

"The same." Vegeta began to approach Bulma again. She backed up as he got closer and closer.

"So does Trunks know that he has to kill you, or have you and the rest of the Saiyan population been keeping that bit of information away from him?"

"I don't suppose the boy knows. If he does, he does a hell of a job hiding it." Vegeta backed Bulma into the wall. "I love it when you work yourself into a rage. You turn pink." Vegeta smirked and touched her cheek. Bulma frowned at Vegeta.

"Oh no, Vegeta. You're not going to change the subject with sex this time. What will Trunks do when he finds out?" Bulma asked as Vegeta's hand traveled to her bare neck. "Vegeta, answer my question," she said while trying to ignore his gentle caresses.

"You know the boy, woman. He's like you in that respect. He'll probably want to," Vegeta leaned in and kissed her neck softly, "change the rule," he whispered.

Bulma opened her mouth to ask another question, but forgot what it was as Vegeta continued his attentions. His hands roamed over her body and she clawed at his, trying to get a firm hold on him. She heard Vegeta snicker against her neck. Bulma tried to pinch him. For a moment, she thought she heard the sound of feet. Bulma dismissed it quickly and concentrated on Vegeta as they met in a heated kiss.

"Mommy? Daddy?" a sweet, sleepy voice asked from behind Vegeta.

Vegeta immediately released Bulma, mumbling a few choice words in his native tongue so Bra would not understand. Bulma came down off her toes. She straightened her dress and looked at her daughter. Bra was rubbing her eyes sleepily and yawning. Bulma looked over at Vegeta. He was still mumbling curses in various languages. Bulma went over to Bra and kneeled.

"What is it, sweetie?" Bulma asked.

"I'm hungry, Mommy," Bra said. Bulma nodded.

"Well, I can go have something made..." Bra shook her head. Bulma raised an eyebrow. "No? So, what do you want?" she asked. Bra looked at Vegeta and a big grin spread across her face.

"Could you take me to hunt, Daddy?" she asked. Vegeta raised an eyebrow and Bulma nearly choked on her own saliva.

"You really want to go hunt, brat?" Vegeta asked. Bra nodded. Vegeta looked at Bulma, who had a look of sheer mortification on her face. Vegeta smirked and glanced back down at his daughter. "Go get dressed. I leave with or without you in five minutes," he said. Bra nodded and ran off. Before she turned the corner, she paused and looked back at her parents.

"It's okay. I see Trunks and Goten do what you two were doing all the time. They always have girls with them," she said. She smiled and rounded the corner.

Vegeta and Bulma stood there in stunned silence for a moment. Then Bulma looked at Vegeta.

"Caught by our child and she wasn't scarred for life. That's actually a first. The boy had actually mentioned something about scrubbing his corneas the next morning," Vegeta said.

"I don't know whether to be appalled or pleased that she'd actually been sort of prepared for it," Bulma said. She thought about Trunks and... girls. Vegeta noticed her shudder. "I guess I'll just be thankful that she isn't traumatized."

"I have a hunting trip to prepare for," Vegeta said. Bulma crossed her arms. "What?"

"I can't believe you are taking her hunting. Hunting, Vegeta? You call that father-daughter bonding?"

"No, I don't. I call it king-princess bonding. Besides, I want to see what the brat has learned so far. She'll eat whatever she kills." Vegeta noticed the look in Bulma's eyes. "She's changed, hasn't she?"

"Yes. She's still a little clingy, but I guess that's to be expected when you haven't seen us in a little while. But, she's also becoming independent and quite ambitious," Bulma said.

"That's a good thing."

"That's a very good thing."


	4. Chapter 4: Hadrian 9

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 4: Hadrian 9**

**

* * *

**

The moment he had set foot on Hadrian 9, Trunks had decided that he did not like it. The planet was too cold and too desolate for his liking. At the moment, he was standing in front of a building inside the base. The rest of his unit was with him. They stood in silence in the howling wind that blew shards of ice into their faces. Trunks had actually had to dodge a couple of them. He looked up when the door to the building opened.

A woman with wild black hair exited. She was followed by someone both Trunks and Goten recognized. It was Turles. Trunks squinted at the woman. She looked oddly familiar, but he could not place where he had seen her before. All he knew was that she was very, very pretty. She hung back and let Turles step up first.

"So you're the fresh crop." Turles looked around at the new unit. "Small runts, aren't you? We'll fix that. Yes, we'll fix that in a hurry. My name is Turles. I am an Elite and second-in-command on this base. If you have any problems, you will come to me. But, you won't have any problems, will you?" Turles said. He moved down the line to examine the unit.

Trunks stayed perfectly still as Turles came towards him and Goten. Turles looked them over once and kept moving. Once he was done, Trunks let out a long sigh and relaxed. He looked back up at the woman who had yet to say anything. She just kept staring out at all of them. Turles made his way back over to the woman.

"This is Denni. She is first-in-command of the Hadrian Nine base. You will answer to her. If she tells you to strip, I want to see your bare ass," Turles said. He stepped back and allowed Denni to walk forward a bit.

Denni paced from side to side on the platform she stood on. Her dark eyes roamed about the pack of teenagers. She appeared to be sizing them up just as Turles had. Every now and then she would nod her head slightly and hum. Eventually, she came to a stop back at Turles' side. She placed her hands on her hips.

"As Turles just told you, I'm Denni. Let's see just how smart you are." Denni smirked out at the students. "This base is a perfect circle designed by the queen. It is two and three-quarter miles in diameter. What is the perimeter?"

Trunks looked around at his fellows. They all looked completely puzzled by Denni's question. Trunks glanced back up at Denni. She had a smug look on her face as she watched the befuddled teenagers. She cleared her throat.

"You'll all miss dinner if you don't figure out the answer. Everyone had to do this. It's part of Queen Bulma's prerequisites. We can't have idiots in the army, can we?" Denni turned her back on them. She paused in her steps when she heard someone clear their throat.

"Um, I know the answer," Trunks said. Denni turned around. He swallowed when he realized everyone was looking at him. Denni crossed her arms. She immediately knew who this boy was.

"Do tell, boy," she said. She did not approve of it, but she had been told not to show Trunks much respect while he was in public. She could tell the prince was not going to like it by the scathing glare he gave her.

"Well, I know what it is in feet," Trunks said. Denni waved her hand as if to say "get on with it." Trunks took a deep breath. "Forty-five thousand six hundred fifteen point nine four... I think," the prince said.

Denni stood there, a little amazed that the boy could the math in his head that well, let alone convert it into feet. It had taken others far longer to do so. She looked over at Turles, who nodded.

_He is Bulma's son, after all_, she thought.

"That is correct. You may drop your things off at the barracks, which are at the _**OTHER**_ end of the grounds. Then you have to make it back here by the time dinner ends in order to eat, without flying. I suggest you hurry, children." Denni turned on her heel and left with a smile on her face.

Goten nudged Trunks in his side as they picked up their bags. Trunks rubbed his side and glared at his best friend.

"What was that for?"

"I think you pissed her off. When did you get so smart?" Goten asked.

"It's simple math, Goten. She just asked for the circumference of a circle. All you have to do is multiply the diameter, which she gave us, times pi. Well, the first thing I did was convert it to feet..." Trunks noticed that Goten was just staring at him with a blank expression on his face. Trunks shook his head and sighed. "Nevermind. Let's go. I don't want to miss dinner."

* * *

Vegeta threw another one of the "messages" from the Galactic Council towards his study door. He sent an energy blast at it just as Bulma entered with a guest. While Vegeta's fits of rage were old news to Bulma after so many years, to others they were quite frightening. The guest cowered a bit behind the much frailer queen.

"Is something wrong, my king?" Bulma asked as she watched the singed parchment fall to the floor. Vegeta glared at her and her guest.

"Who the hell is that behind you?" he grumbled. Bulma bit her lip and stepped to the side.

"This is Garlic. He just took over as ruler of his father's planet. He wants to do business with us," she said. Vegeta eyed her warily for a moment and then set his narrow eyes on their guest. Garlic hardly looked the part of a ruler. If anything, he resembled a child. Vegeta made a scoffing noise and sat back in his chair.

"What type of business?" he asked. Garlic looked up at Bulma. Bulma nodded towards Vegeta. Garlic stepped further inside the room and approached the king. He seemed a bit intimidated at first.

"You have something I would like to invest in, King Vegeta," the small one said. Vegeta looked confused for a moment, but only for a moment. It was masked quickly. Then he sat forward again.

"I highly doubt that," Vegeta said. Garlic laughed. Bulma crossed her arms.

"On the contrary, King Vegeta. You have something I want, and I have something you'll need in the very near future. Trust me."

"Explain yourself. My patience wears thin with you already," Vegeta said.

_Amazing. This guy has an ego almost as big as Vegeta's_, Bulma thought as she listened to the conversation. The little sky blue alien was going toe-to-toe with her husband and wasn't backing down a bit. He had seemed somewhat timid with her, but Bulma guessed that that was only because she was a female. Garlic had obviously not been around many before.

"You seek freedom from the council, King Vegeta?" Garlic asked. Here, Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"You have my attention."

"Well, I can help you attain this freedom. All I ask for is..."

* * *

Outside on the training grounds, Bra was fighting one of her classmates. She was holding back, as usual. It was getting to be quite tedious with these classes. For some reason, she seemed to get stronger faster than the rest of her class. She had no idea why that was, but she found it interesting. Right before she could punch the girl to the ground, the ground shook with her father's voice.

"_**ABSOLUTELY NOT**_!!" Vegeta yelled from the palace.

Everyone turned to look towards the palace. Glass had shattered outward from all of the windows from the energy the king had just emitted. Bra took a worried step forward. Her father was angry; very angry. What had caused him to get so mad? Without thinking, she took off running.

"Princess Bra! Princess Bra, come back this instant!" Bra's teacher yelled. Bra paid her no mind and just kept running towards the palace with her teacher in hot pursuit.

_Damn that child is fast_, her teacher thought as she gave chase.

* * *

Vegeta was glaring maliciously at Garlic through Bulma's hair. The queen had somehow stopped Vegeta from killing the small being with a few soft words. Currently, she was trying to hold him back. Bulma turned her head to look at Garlic. The little being was smirking at the two smugly.

"What nonsense are you on about, Garlic? I have nothing to do with this," Bulma said. "And as you can see, Vegeta is extremely attached to me."

"Yes, I can see that the husband loves his little wife. But, I need your help with something, Queen Bulma." Garlic reached inside his robes and pulled out a small tube. Bulma raised an eyebrow as he opened it a piece of rolled up paper slipped out. Garlic held it out to Bulma. Bulma stared at it for a moment before leaving her husband to retrieve it. "I think you'll be interested in it, your highness."

Bulma's eyes widened as she unrolled the piece of paper. It was a blueprint. This was definitely something in her area of expertise. From the sketches on the paper, she could tell exactly what it was for. But, what would Garlic want with such a high-tech device? It was way out of his league. She rolled it back up and looked at the small alien. He was smirking at her.

"What do you think, Queen Bulma? Do you think you can build it? I hear you're the best," he said. Bulma smiled down at him.

"Oh, flattery will get you nowhere, Garlic." Bulma tapped her arm with the paper. "Tell me what you want with a device such as this. This is pretty hard stuff I'm dealing with," she said. Garlic crossed his arms.

"My planet is a place of limited means, your highness. I must have some way of exporting what I can to certain places. If you help me with this, I can help your husband attain whatever he needs to attain freedom of the Galactic Council."

"I see." Bulma looked back at the blueprint. "The problem with this is that I need a specific part that they don't sell on this side of the galaxy. I will build it for you. But, I will do it here. The king is not very... welcoming of the idea of me going away to unknown planets," Bulma said. Garlic nodded.

"I see, you majesty. Thank you very much."

"Brolly, show Garlic out," Bulma said. Brolly nodded and looked down on the much, much shorter alien. Then Bulma faced Vegeta, who was looking away from her with his arms folded. She rolled her eyes and stepped around him to the desk. Vegeta watched her. She just said nothing to him as she began straightening up his papers. Then she looked up at Vegeta. "Well, I hope you're proud of yourself."

"What are you talking about, woman?" Vegeta moaned.

"One of these days, you're going to cause an intergalactic war because of your damn temper. You get angry far too easily, Vegeta!"

"Woman, he demanded that he take you back to his planet!"

"You didn't even hear him out! You immediately jumped to conclusions, as usual, and assumed he meant take me into custody or something! What did you think he meant? Become his sex slave?"

"He should phrase his requests better!"

"You should control this need to kill! Stop being such an angry villain all the time!"

"I'm the villain?"

"Yes!"

"You build death machines every day and _**I'M**_ the villain? Woman, come down off that pedestal you place yourself on. You're not so saintly yourself!"

"I never said I was, but I'm a hell of a lot better than you!" It went on and on.

* * *

Bra ran past Brolly. She smiled up at him for a moment. Then she passed Garlic. For a moment, she got a strange feeling as she met the alien's sharp eyes. He followed her for a moment with a strange look. Bra shook off her discomfort and kept running full speed with her teacher in hot pursuit. She rounded the corner to here her parents screaming insults at one another. She winced each time she heard a curse word or a nasty phrase. She peered inside the door to see her father's back and her mother red in the face.

"Mommy? Daddy? Why are you fighting?" she asked. Both Bulma and Vegeta paused. Bulma walked over to her and smiled, though it was obviously forced. Vegeta just frowned and crossed his arms. Bra looked between her parents.

"We were just having a little disagreement, sweetie. Why aren't you trai..." Bulma paused as Bra's teacher burst in the room. She looked between the three family members and swallowed. She backed away slowly. Then Bulma looked back down at Bra. "You should be training, Bra."

"But I heard Daddy," Bra said.

"I'm sure you did," Bulma mumbled. She glared at Vegeta. "Bra, do you want to come on a trip with Mommy?"

"A trip?" Bra's blue eyes lit up. Bulma nodded. She looked at Vegeta. "Can I Daddy?"

"No. You have to train," Vegeta said sternly. Bra poked her lip out. Vegeta looked away from her.

"Please, Daddy? I can beat up everybody already. It's no fun in training anymore," she whined. Bulma giggled.

"Yeah, 'Daddy.' She can beat up everybody." She picked up Bra, a laboring process. The child was perhaps twice as heavy as she was before her training started. She was probably solid muscle now. Both of them made the same face at Vegeta. He glared at both of them. While it was easy for him to deny Bulma on occasion, the power of Bra's eyes plus Bulma's was no match for his will.

"Fine. Just this once. Where are you going, anyway?"

"To Grexia," Bulma stated calmly. Vegeta frowned.

Grexia was clear on the other side of the galaxy. It was so far away that he would lose contact with Bulma for a while. It also was in the darkest part of the galaxy, barely visible and brought about some of the shadier characters in the cosmos. Not many dared to venture there. But, if one was looking for certain pieces of equipment, Grexia was definitely the place to go.

"And you're not sending the whole Saiyan army with me. I can take care of myself. Brolly and my normal detail will be enough," Bulma said while putting Bra down. Vegeta. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I want to get this done with as soon as possible."

"Woman..."

"Not another word about it, Vegeta. Come along, Bra. Let's get you packed," Bulma said.

Vegeta crossed his arms in a pouty manner. He hated when Bulma "hushed" him. Instead, he followed her out of his study to find something or someone to beat to a bloody pulp.

* * *

Trunks dropped his fifth consecutive victim on his face. As usual, no one could take the prince. It had become sport for Trunks and Goten to earn money from the older soldiers by betting them that they could beat them. They figured that it was not against the rules (or so they thought), so why not take advantage. Goten took care of the money while Trunks got the workout.

"Who's next?" Trunks asked smugly. Some large guy stepped up to take on Trunks. Trunks bowed to him sarcastically. "Let's go, tough guy."

* * *

Denni stepped out of the main building. She saw Turles and a few other officers observing the carnage Trunks was dishing out to the older soldiers. She walked over to Turles and looked up at him.

"Is there a reason you are just allowing this?" she asked.

"Well, they aren't really breaking any rules, are they?" Turles asked. Denni rolled her eyes. She looked back out at Trunks just as he finished beating the large older Saiyan. "I mean, if those two are swindling the older guys out of their money, it's fine with me."

"Well, it isn't fine with me. I won't have ego trips on my base. I think it's time someone brought the prince and his buddy back down a peg," Denni said. She started to walk forward.

* * *

Trunks walked around the circle. No one else was stepping forward. He smiled in triumph and cracked his knuckles. He looked over at Goten, who was counting their money.

"Looks like we're all out of contenders for today, Goten," Trunks said.

"I guess so, Trunks," Goten said happily.

"I'll take a chance," a female's voice said. Trunks turned around. He saw Denni coming through the crowd and swallowed. He looked over at Goten. Goten just shrugged, equally as confused as Trunks was. "If you manage to beat me, then you can keep your money. But, if you lose..."

"Then what?" Trunks asked. Denni smirked.

"Well, we'll get to that _**WHEN**_ that happens," she said. Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Don't hold back, young one."

Trunks considered Denni for a moment. He had absolutely no idea how strong his commanding officer was. He was even unsure of her ranking as to if she was Elite or not. Turles was an Elite, so she had to be a little stronger than him. Or she could just be smarter. Who knew? Still, if there was one trait Trunks got from his father it was that good sense sometimes eluded him. This was one of those times. He went at Denni full force.

Denni easily side-stepped Trunks' first punch. She grabbed the second one and held it. She released him and pushed him back. Trunks slid back in the snow. Then he looked back up at Denni, rubbing his red wrist. Denni just stared at him.

"Your punches are lazy, as if you are trying to hit as hard as possible with the least amount of effort. Kind of a paradox, eh? You cannot cheat your way through a battle, prince. Do continue," Denni said. Trunks frowned and flew at her again.

Trunks began a merciless barrage against Denni, but landed not one punch or kick on her. Instead, Denni dodged and ducked, all the while examining Trunks' style of fighting. She finally put an end to his movement by kneeing him in the stomach... hard. Trunks coughed up a hefty chunk of saliva. Denni removed her knee and let Trunks slide to the ground. She stepped around him.

"You have great speed. In fact, you're incredibly fast. Even I had a little trouble dodging at first. But, you use it quite foolishly. You don't have to be fast _**ALL**_ the time. Pick your spots. Strategy is the key to winning battles, prince. Take an opponent by surprise by a sudden burst of incredible speed." Denni looked out at the silent group of soldiers. They were all watching Trunks writhe in pain after just one hit from their commanding officer. "Now, do not get any ideas, soldiers. Your prince is by no means weak. I am merely stronger. And you are all pathetic to have been beaten by such a young, inexperienced person as him. I will rectify his inexperience myself if need be because you all are far too meek to do it. As for you..." Denni glared at Goten.

"Yes?" Goten whispered hoarsely. He watched her approach him. She smiled and reached down for the money.

"I'll be taking this and you'll be helping Trunks to the infirmary. I think I might've broken a rib or something," she said. Goten swallowed and nodded fastidiously. He hurried over to Trunks and helped his best friend up. Once Trunks and Goten were gone, Denni headed back to the main building. She passed Turles and looked at him. "If I ever see that again, I'll do far more than beat the crap out of whoever is doing the fighting."

"Yes, ma'am," Turles said.


	5. Chapter 5: The Pink Kid

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 5: The Pink Kid**

* * *

Bra skipped up and down the halls of her mother's massive ship. She hummed to herself quietly. She had been traveling with her mother for a little over three months and she was bored out of her skull. Some of the detail that were supposed to be protecting them had finally succumbed to the cuteness of the princess and agreed to spar with her, but they refused to fight her with any gusto. This only resulted in Bra throwing a temper tantrum.

_I wonder if Brolly will spar with me. I haven't asked him yet. He's probably the strongest on the ship_, Bra thought. She smiled to herself and ran off, her braid waving behind her.

Brolly was standing across the room from Bulma. The queen was resting on a lounge chair on the observation deck. She had just finished working on whatever the contraption was that Garlic wanted her to build. Apparently, she worked herself into exhaustion. Now Brolly stood with his ever vigilant eye over the queen. The silence was broken by the loud stampede of little feet when Bra burst through the door. Bulma nearly fell from the chair when Bra came through.

"Brolly! Brolly!" she yipped. Bulma glared at her daughter, but remembered that the child was still just a child and calmed herself. Instead she righted herself in the chair and cleared her throat. "Brolly, will you spar with me?" Bra asked happily. Both Bulma and Brolly were taken back by this request.

"Bra, Brolly's much too strong for you. You could get hurt," Bulma said. Bra turned to look at her mother.

"Nuh-uh! If Brolly is as strong as you say he is he can control his power, can't he?" she asked while crossing her arms. Bulma opened her mouth to retort, but then looked at Brolly. Brolly sighed and shook his head.

"Well, she draws a valid point. Shouldn't you be able to, Brolly?"

"Yes, your highness. Do you think it is wise that I spar with the princess?" Brolly asked dryly. Bulma looked back at Bra. Bra was still looking at her.

"Only if you want to, Brolly," Bulma said. Bra immediately turned and looked at Brolly. Brolly looked down at Bra. Bra blinked twice. Brolly sighed and grabbed Bra's hand.

"Ten minutes," he mumbled. Bra smiled and jumped up and down.

* * *

Denni finished giving Bardock a full report of everything that was happening at the Hadrian 9 base. When she was done, she looked back up at the video screen and crossed her arms. Bardock had disappeared from the screen. Denni raised an eyebrow. Then another familiar face, albeit one she had not seen in years, appeared in his place. It was Vegeta.

"Your majesty. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Denni asked. Vegeta waved his hand.

"Routine check on my son. The woman was asking about him. She's about to go into radio silence on her trip to Grexia," Vegeta said. Denni raised an eyebrow.

"Grexia? That's a dicey place for the queen to be seen, isn't it?"

"Just get on with it," Vegeta said. Denni nodded.

"A few months back I had to adjust your son's character, but other than that, he's doing okay." She noticed that Vegeta was looking off to the side. "Is there something else, your majesty?"

"Have you told the boy yet?" Vegeta asked. Denni blinked. She shook her head. Vegeta nodded. "Tell him and no matter what his reaction is, tell him it is necessary and that it is required. I don't think it is wise for you to be alone with him when you do. His blood tends to... react to his emotions," Vegeta said.

"I see. Anything else, sire?"

"That is all." Vegeta's face disappeared.

Denni sighed and turned the screen off. She had been given the daunting task of telling the prince of his duty in order to take his place as king. She had to tell Prince Trunks that he had to slay his own father. The boy was by no means soft, but he was not the most thick-skinned of Saiyans, either. She stood up and walked out of the room all the way to the outside.

* * *

Trunks and Goten were sparring in one of the gravity rooms on the base. Paris and Liss were below them, keeping tabs on their progress. That was when the gravity was suddenly turned off as Trunks flew towards Goten. The sudden drop in the strain on Trunks' body caused Trunks to fly directly into Goten. They went crashing into the ground and landed right at the feet of Denni. Denni look down at them with her arms crossed.

"Nice," she said. Trunks and Goten groaned as they looked up at her. "On your feet, maggots," she said. They rose quickly and stepped away from her. Liss and Paris stood behind them quickly.

Since their last scuffle, Denni had been riding Trunks rather hard to get him to be a better fighter. She said he was pathetic and that he should be ashamed at how lazy his technique was. While her comments made him angry, he knew if he said anything out of line, it would somehow get back to his father. That was the very last thing he wanted to happen. Instead, he took it in stride and just trained as hard as he could to get better. It was like they were preparing him for some unseen enemy. As far as he knew, they weren't going to war.

"You three, leave us," Denni said suddenly. Goten raised an eyebrow. Paris and Liss hustled out as quickly as possible. Denni stared at Goten. Goten looked at Trunks. Trunks nodded slightly and Goten made his way towards the door. Turles passed the teenager as Goten was leaving. Turles closed the gravity room's door.

_Okay. What is going on_? he thought.

"I bet you're wondering why you're in here alone. Don't worry, prince. You're not in trouble. In fact, it's the exact opposite. I've got something important to tell you. It has to do with you becoming king," Denni said. Trunks looked confused.

"What?"

"Do you know what happens when you become king?" Denni asked. Trunks just stared at her. "Do you know what it entails?"

"Not really. Isn't there some sort of ceremony, like a coronation?" Trunks asked. Denni nodded.

"Yes, there is. But, before your coronation you need to do something first. You have to do something very important, but it's something you might not like," she said slowly. Turles walked around her. Trunks watched him out of the corner of his eye. Something told him that he was not going to like it at all.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You have to kill the king," Denni said plainly.

For a moment, Trunks thought he could not have possibly heard her right. But he knew that he had Saiyan senses, and they had never failed him before. They were not failing him now. He just stared at Denni with a bemused look on his face. It took a moment for the words to wash over him. Then comprehension finally came. Trunks started shaking his head.

"No. I'm not doing that," he said. "I'm never doing that. I _**CAN'T**_ do that. Do you know what that'll do to Mom? Bra? Me? He's my _**FATHER**_!" Trunks yelled. His head began to hurt and he began to get hot. Sweat began to form on his brow.

"You have to. It's part of your duty as the Crown Prince of Vegeta-sei, Prince Trunks. The king had to do it, and you will to." Denni felt a spike in Trunks' energy. She looked at Turles. Turles shook his head. The prince turned away from them and walked dizzily around.

Trunks felt nauseous. For some reason, his emotions were running together all at once. He dug his fingers into his hair and pulled tightly. Then he faced Denni again. She blinked when she saw him. He was sweating bullets.

"Prince..."

"I will not. You can tell him that." Trunks stormed past her. He held out a hand and blasted the gravity room's door clear off it's hinges. He walked out into the cold and to the barracks. Denni looked over at Turles.

"I think that went better than expected."

* * *

Two months later, Bulma watched as the pilot of her ship, a Saiyan named Ferris, skillfully navigated the ship through an asteroid field. It was pitch black where they were. Bulma had lost contact with Vegeta a little over a month ago. She could tell Bra missed her father by the way the six-year-old moped about. She'd promised to buy her something when they got to Grexia. They were almost there. The planet lied within the asteroid field, invisible to the naked eye. One had to use UV rays to see it.

"We've come within the gravitational pull of the planet, your majesty. Turn on the UV light?" one of Bulma's detail asked. Bulma nodded. The soldier did as he was told. Once the invisible light was shining ahead of them, the planet appeared in the radar.

"I see you," Bulma whispered. "Request landing in the docking bay of Morovia then we can get in, get out, and go home. I miss my husband." Bulma walked out of the room.

* * *

Brolly was moving backwards as Bra punched her way towards him. The small girl was probably faster than kids twice her age. She was also a fast learner. The only thing about it was she was a perfectionist, hard on herself, and most of all, she hated to lose. Brolly did not know if that was a good or bad thing yet. While he pondered this, he dropped his guard for a split second and took one to the jaw. Before he knew it, he was sitting against the wall. Bra was across the room, jumping up and down in her victory.

"I finally got you! I finally got you!" she chanted. Brolly stood up and rubbed his jaw. Blocking her even stung a little, but he did not think actually taking a hit would hurt so much. The girl had a mean right hook. Before he could say anything, the door opened and Bulma appeared. Bra saw her ans smiled. "Mommy, I finally hit Brolly!"

"Really? That's nice Bra. We've arrived at Grexia. It's time to get you dressed do we can go shopping. Wouldn't that be fun?" Bulma said. Bra nodded. She stuck her tongue out at Brolly and skipped out of the room. Bulma looked at Brolly. "I will meet you at the gate."

* * *

Morovia was the busiest, yet the most dangerous city on Grexia. The dregs of the universe came to this place in search of whatever they could find. They also sold whatever the wanted. Bulma was looking for a particular piece of equipment she was sure could only be found in this city. After all, it was illegal to use such equipment by the Universal Law. But, because Grexia was outside of the Universal Alliance, technically, her buying it and attaching it to the piece of the machine Garlic wanted that was on the ship was not illegal, if you looked at it from a certain standpoint.

Bra stuck close to her mother's side. She was wearing a black cloak that covered her whole body and her hair. Her mother wore the same thing. Brolly stood on her side and her mother had another Saiyan on her side. They were also surrounded by half of the detail. The rest was at the ship. Bra took in the strange sights around her. Everything was so... different from anything she'd seen on Vegeta-sei or Earth. Something pink caught her eye. Before she could take a second glance, Bulma pulled her into a tent.

Bulma put Bra's hand in the hand of one of the detail. Then she approached the vendor with Brolly. She saw what she was looking for behind him and smiled. She looked at the little snake-like alien who was sitting below her. He was staring up at her with one beady eye on her face and the other on her chest. Bulma crossed her arms over her bosom with a frown and snorted.

"Hello there. How much for that molecular disruptor behind you?" Bulma asked. The old alien looked behind him and then looked at Bulma.

"What would a pretty thing like you want with something so advanced and so," he licked his lips, "illegal?"

"That's none of your concern. How much or I can take my business elsewhere?" Bulma asked.

"Molecular disruptors are hard to come by. I doubt you'll find another in Morovia. I normally charge nine hundred thousand credits. But, since you're so pretty..."

Bra looked outside of the tent while still holding the soldier's hand. She saw through the crowd. There was something pink in the alley across the way. Whatever it was had grabbed her interest. Before Bra could say anything, she was being pulled off by the guard. She saw her mother was holding something in a big box. A small smirk was on her face.

They went to some more booths and tents. Every now and then, Bulma would show Bra some interesting toy that she wanted. Then Bulma would haggle the price. The pink thing kept popping up, too. Bra just had to find out what it was. But, Bra's Saiyan appetite began to get in the way.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," she said. Bulma nodded.

"We'll be back at the ship soon, sweetie. I don't want you eating anything from out here," Bulma said while making a funny face. Bra giggled and they kept walking through a very crowded area.

Tiny Bra struggled to hold on to her guard's hand. Instead, she clamped on to her mother's cloak. Bulma felt Bra tugging at her and turned her head. She reached out for her through the crowd. Bra touched her mother's hand, but they were pulled apart. Bra tripped and fell on her knees in the crowd. She crawled backwards, suddenly frightened of being alone in a strange place.

Bulma's heart started to beat faster and faster. She could no longer see the tiny black cloak among the people. Her daughter had literally been swallowed by the mass of people. What if she was being trampled? No! She musn't think such thoughts. Bra was built far stronger than that, even if she was half human. Bulma looked at Brolly. Brolly nodded and began barking orders at the detail.

_Where's my baby_? Bulma asked, clutching the box to her chest.

* * *

Bra finally made it to a safe place. She was panting. Her knuckles were a little bloody from her hands being stepped on from people, but other than that she was just fine. She could not see anyone she knew anymore. She could not even see her mother. Her mother had told her no matter what not to take her hood off. Someone would definitely recognize her as the Crown Princess of Vegeta-sei then. That would just lead to more trouble. So, Bra just sank to her feet and pulled her knees up to her chest.

A few minutes later, Bra heard noises around the corner from her. She looked back out at the mob, then she headed to where the noises were. She gasped lightly when she saw what was going on.

In the narrow alley, a mugging was going on. It turned out that the "pink thing" Bra had been chasing was actually an alien of some type. It looked no older than a kid, though. He was being mugged by two very large aliens. To say that the fight was going to be one-sided was an understatement. So, Bra rushed to the pink kid's aid.

"Leave him alone!" Bra yelled.

All three seemed to look a little shocked at the appearance of the small girl. The two large aliens looked at each other and laughed. The pink alien just watched Bra. One of the large aliens approached Bra.

"And what do you think you're doing, little one? Do you plan to stop us? Why don't you run along now and..." He waved his finger. He reached out to her. Bra shot his finger off and broke his nose. Then she threw him into the wall, knocking him out. She looked at his friend.

"You want to be next?" she asked. The question was barely out of her mouth before the alien was off and running. "That's right! You better run!" Bra heard a snicker behind her. She turned around. The pink kid was laughing. Not only was he laughing, he was laughing maniacally. Bra laughed, too. Then the kid stopped and looked at her. Their eyes met.

Bra had never seen eyes like his. They were strange eyes. They were red, but instead of being surrounded by white, they were surrounded by black. It was a weird, yet evil combination. He was no taller than she was and he didn't look very dangerous, but something told Bra that he probably could have defended himself just fine against those aliens.

"Hello. My name is Bra," she said finally after the moment of silence. The pink kid did not seem to quite fully understand her. Bra placed her hands on her chest. "Bra." Then she pointed at him. The kid grinned almost evilly.

"Buu," he said in a somewhat childish voice. Bra smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Buu," she said.

Before Bra could say anything else, the alien she had attacked came to his senses. He jumped up to get her. Bra did not quite follow his movements, but by the time she turned around, she saw that Buu had killed her would-be assailant. The princess looked at the charred remains of flesh. The little pink alien was giggling again. He turned around and looked at her, still wearing a manic grin. Bra, a naturally friendly girl, just smiled right back at him.

"Princess!" a voice rang from above her. Bra and Buu looked up. It was Brolly. Buu looked confused and tried to shoot Brolly out of the air. The large Saiyan barely managed to avoid the blast.

"No, Buu. He's a friend!" Bra said loudly. Buu looked at her. Bra nodded as Brolly appeared at her side. He immediately picked the princess up and held his arm out towards the pink alien. Buu just stared at Brolly. "Brolly, he's nice. He protected my life."

"And he just tried to end mine," Brolly said.

"He thought you were a bad guy," Bra said. Brolly lowered his arm slowly. Buu turned his gaze back to Bra. Bra waved at him.

"I'll see you again, I hope," she said before Brolly took off. Buu watched them go.

As they flew through the air, Brolly could feel Bra start to give in to sleep. What had the princess been doing in her time away from them? And who or what was that thing she had come across? It looked positively evil. The energy the thing was giving off was obviously disguised. But what was he and how powerful was he exactly? Brolly shuddered to think of what something like that was capable of.

* * *

Bulma shuffled back and forth nervously on the ship. She stared down at her feet. A thousand scenarios ran through her mind. She tried to push any bad thoughts of what could have happened to her daughter away. She tried to tell herself that Brolly would find the little princess. She told herself that Bra was a big girl. She told herself that Bra was very strong and would fight for her life if she was in trouble. She tried to tell herself that nothing could ever happen to her baby. She tried to tell herself that she was not a horri...

_Yes, I am! I'm a terrible mother! How could I let my daughter get away from me like this? Vegeta will hate me! Trunks will hate me! __**I**__ hate me_! Bulma screamed in her mind. Tears started to well up. Then she heard the sound of little feet.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Bra's high-pitched screech entered Bulma's ears. It had never been so welcome. Bulma whirled around. The child ran right into her legs, nearly knocking her mother over. Bulma just put her hands in her child's hair, making sure she was real. "Mommy, I'm back!" Bra looked up and smiled. Bulma kneeled down.

"Bra?" Bulma began feeling all over the child. Bra looked at her in question. Then Bulma pulled Bra into a tight hug. Bra heard her mother sniffle and felt her shake. "Oh, Bra..."

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Bra asked.

"Mommy's not crying," Bulma lied. She released Bra and wiped her swollen face. "Go and wash up for dinner. You smell like... sewage." Bulma wrinkled her nose. Bra smiled and ran off. Bulma sat back on her legs as Brolly approached her. He reached down to her. Bulma took his hand and stood. "Where was she?"

"In an alley with an alien of some sort. It nearly shot me out of the sky. She called it Buu," Brolly said. Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"Buu? That's an odd name. Just get us home, Brolly. Don't tell Vegeta about this. I'll talk to Bra."

"Yes, your majesty."

* * *

Bulma's ship had been off Grexia no more than fifty minutes. Bra was standing in the observation deck, looking back towards the planet. Brolly was watching her as she practiced channeling her energy. A bright light caught her eye in the large window. Bra turned her head and smiled. She stopped what she was doing. Brolly followed her gaze.

"Brolly, what's that?" Bra asked.

* * *

Down in the lab, one of Bulma's technicians blinked at the radar screen. Then he called the queen over to his station.

"I'm sort of busy. This better be good," Bulma said while wiping oil from her hands. The tech pointed to the empty screen. "Well? What is it? I don't see anything."

"That's just it, your majesty. A moment ago, there was a system there. Now there's..."

A violent wave shock shook the ship. The lights went out. The emergency system immediately took over. Bulma had been knocked to the floor. She immediately stood up with only one thought on her mind: her daughter.

* * *

Bra was sitting in the big chair in the control room. She watched as the older people ran around in a big fuss, trying to fix everything. She wondered idly where her mother was. That was when the queen arrived. Bra smiled; her mother knew how to make an entrance.

"What happened?" Bulma asked.

"Some sort of destructive force, your majesty. I don't know exactly how it happened. We think someone destroyed a system nearby," someone said from up front. Bulma nodded. "Grexia is missing from the chart..."

"Grexia is missing? How is that possible? We were just there," Bulma said.

"Well, it's gone now, you highness."

Bulma bit her lip. She saw Bra sitting in the big chair. The six-year-old did not appear frightened of the situation. In fact, she appeared bored. Bulma made her way over to her and sat down next to her.

"Scared, munchkin?"

"Nope."

"Good. We're gonna get home soon. First we need to get somewhere to call your father. He's going to be so mad at me." Bulma mumbled the last sentence. Bra heard her, though. She hated when her parents fought. It made her sad.

"Okay. Just don't fight," she said. Bulma looked at her. The sad look on Bra's face made her force a smile to hers.

"Oh, baby. I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	6. Chapter 6: Travels

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 6: Travels**

* * *

Bulma sighed. They were within the jurisdiction of the Universal Alliance. Now she could call Vegeta. She could already hear the anger in his voice. She could already see the disappointment on his face. She knew that this next conversation she would have with him would only lead to a fight, but she needed help and Vegeta was the only one who could send it to her. So, Bulma sucked it up and called Vegeta-sei.

Vegeta's face appeared several minutes later.

"Hello, Vegeta," Bulma said. Vegeta stared at her for a moment before giving a nod to her. "I'm back within the jurisdiction of the Universal Alliance," she said.

"I noticed." Vegeta's eyes traveled around the room. He noticed that Bra was not there. "Where's the bratling?"

"Asleep. I did not want to wake her. She was so tired from training with Brolly," Bulma lied. Bra was enjoying her other favorite pastime besides fighting: eating. Bulma had decided to make the call to Vegeta while she was preoccupied with food. Vegeta knew Bulma was lying, but decided not to call her on it.

"I see." He cleared his throat. "Did you find what you needed, woman?"

"Yes."

"When can I expect you?"

"You see, therein lies a problem," Bulma said. Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"When we left Grexia, someone or something destroyed the system a few moments after. The shockwave rattled our systems and now we're running on the emergency systems. I might not make it back to Vegeta-sei. At least not like this. I need your help," Bulma said.

Vegeta simply stared at Bulma with an impassive face for a moment. Bulma shifted under his gaze. Usually, Vegeta would have blown everything way out of proportion and jumped to conclusions by now. He would have been yelling at Bulma and Bulma would have been screaming right back at him. Instead, he was just staring at her with a lackadaisical glare. Then he sighed.

"What planet are you closest to?" Vegeta asked. Bulma blinked and looked over at one of her soldiers. He turned to look at a chart and then back at her.

"Reikyakuki-sei," he said.

Bulma froze. She looked up at Vegeta. Vegeta's eyes narrowed. They had no other choice. He nodded and she shook her head.

"Vegeta, I cannot go to that planet," she said.

"Woman, I don't like it any more than you do. You don't really have a choice in the matter, though. Your ship is running on fumes. You need to repair it. That planet has the necessary tools. _**HE**_ will give you what you need. I will make sure of it," Vegeta said.

"What about Bra?" Bulma asked pointedly. Vegeta's eyes darkened. Bulma knew that look all too well. If anything happened to Bra while they were on Reikyakuki-sei, everyone in the galaxy would most definitely find out how powerful the Saiyan king was. It was still a mystery to most.

"Nothing will happen to her," Vegeta said, reassuring his wife. Bulma nodded. "Now call and request permission to land in Kohl. As soon as your ship is fixed, I want you off that planet and headed here. Got it?"

"Yes." Bulma stopped as the door opened and Bra came running in.

"Daddy!" she squealed. Vegeta focused his gaze down at his daughter. She seemed to be just fine. She even looked a mite stronger. He watched her climb up the chair next to her mother. She waved and smiled at him. "Hi, Daddy! Brolly let me spar with him! I hit him four times in the jaw! I even kicked him twice!" she squealed some more. Vegeta smirked. So his daughter was a fighter after all.

"Hello, brat. Stop that incessant shrieking. You sound like a dying animal. I have a special job for you," he said. Bra clasped her hands together.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You're going to a dangerous planet with a dangerous man. Brolly will be your bodyguard. You will be your mother's bodyguard. This is your first mission as a Saiyan soldier," Vegeta said. Bra nodded.

"Yes, Daddy. I won't fail." Bra looked down for a moment. Then she looked back up. "Is this man scary, Daddy?"

"Frightened, bratling?"

"No! I just wanted to know," Bra said quickly. Vegeta smirked again. Bulma frowned as Bra hopped down and ran to the door. Before she left she faced her father again. "Bye, Daddy!" And then she was gone. Bulma looked back at Vegeta.

"What the hell was that for?" she yelled.

"It'll keep the brat side-tracked. She less likely to get into trouble if she's tagging after you, isn't she?" Vegeta rationalized. Bulma opened her mouth to retort but shut it almost immediately. She sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I never thought of it that way. Fine. Let me call now so I can get it out of the way. I'm sure he knows I'm in the vicinity anyway." Bulma looked back at Vegeta. "See you soon, husband."

"I'm sending someone after you," Vegeta said. Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Be safe, wife." With that, Vegeta's face disappeared.

Bulma looked ahead of her at the controls. She typed in some coordinates and looked at the screen in front of her. After a few moments, an alien wearing a helmet of some sort appeared in front of her. Bulma blinked twice in confusion. The alien removed the helmet. Bulma recognized the alien's race almost immediately. Her skin began to crawl and she rubbed her bare arms.

"Queen Bulma. I have heard of you. Would you like to speak with our ruler?" the alien asked.

"I would," Bulma said firmly. The alien nodded and disappeared for a moment.

After a few seconds, the screen changed. Bulma was no longer looking at a dark room. Instead, she was looking at a lavishly furnished one with red and white walls. Bulma's eyes searched around the screen, looking for some sign of life. Then she heard a sinister snicker that she thought she'd never have to hear again.

_Cooler_, she thought.

"It's been so long, my queen." Cooler stepped from around a wall. He walked towards a large pillow in the room and sat down, still facing Bulma. Bulma narrowed her eyes.

"Cooler."

"Yes, that's me."

"I need a favor," Bulma said.

"Anything for you," Cooler said with a smile. Bulma sighed.

"My ship is damaged. I am toting... precious cargo and I need to make repairs. May I use your docks in Kohl?" Bulma asked quickly. Cooler nodded.

"Of course. Don't be a stranger. I'll have them prepare a special gate for you. You'll have all the privacy you need. Anything else, my queen?" Cooler asked. Bulma shook her head slowly. "Then I'll await your arrival." Cooler's face disappeared.

Bulma stood there for a moment. She was in complete shock of how smooth their conversation had just gone. The whole day seemed to be happening in some sort of odd manner. First, Vegeta had seemed abnormally calmer. Now, Cooler, a man who was obsessed with her, was acting strange.

_It's like I'm in a parallel universe_, Bulma thought.

"Queen Bulma?" One of Bulma's soldiers pulled her from her thoughts. She looked down at him. "You should prepare for entry."

"Yes. Yes, I should." Bulma left the control room.

* * *

Denni looked through some files on the hybrids. Apparently, the queen had been running various tests on them since they were young. They were mainly blood tests and nothing else, though. Denni came across an interesting tidbit as Turles walked inside her darkened office. Turles turned the main light on, making Denni look up. She smirked when she noticed it was just him.

"Turles, did you know of the queen's research on Kakarrot's sons and the royal brats as well?" she asked. Turles made a noise to confirm it. "Well, I didn't. Did you ever hear of any of the results?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"I was just looking through some of the ones Vege... the king sent me. The queen came up with some pretty interesting things." Denni looked at some more papers. "You do know how we Saiyans survive best, right?"

"If nothing else works, self-preservation comes first," Turles said bluntly. Denni nodded.

"Well, it would appear that the hybrids give self-preservation a whole new meaning." She passed Turles two pictures. Turles picked it up. His eyebrows immediately furrowed. They were of Gohan. He was no older than about eight or nine. In one he was sitting in front of some mountains. "Before provocation" was printed at the bottom. In the other picture, Gohan was on the dusty ground, staring back at what used to be mountains. "After" was all that was printed. Turles looked at Denni. "Self-preservation, huh?"

"The boy destroyed all of that?" Turles mumbled.

"Apparently. According to the queen's research, it is natural for Saiyans to react differently when their person is put in great peril. It is only natural to have that defensive instinct. But, the hybrids, human and Saiyan that is, have a different take on this. They tend to take it to another level," Denni said.

"How so?"

"The normal Saiyan has the usual sudden burst of energy; that natural urge to kill whatever is endangering them whether it is within their capability or not. The hybrids have this as well, only they somehow gain enough power spontaneously to actually do it. They can't replicate this power on the spot again unless they are trained to do so. They must be provoked into it. It is a reaction. Once it happened to Kakarrot's eldest boy, who has the highest destructive potential so far, Bulma did some tests on his blood and found that it was highly reactive to certain things." Denni took a deep breath.

"Like?"

"Well, it says here that if it's mixed with certain hormones, it becomes," Denni glanced up at Turles, "well, to put it bluntly, damn near radioactive. But that's not even the strangest part."

"What is?"

"The girl. The princess. She's the enigma." Denni shuffled through more papers. "The princess is probably the most dangerous. While she may never be as powerful as her brother or the sons of Kakarrot, she will be far easier to provoke into a rage. And she has better control and memory of what she's done. The others had no recollection or control," she said.

"Odd..." Turles mumbled. Denni nodded and silence fell around them.

They were shaken from the silence when a soldier burst in the room. Denni looked up at him and Turles turned around. The soldier seemed a bit out of breath. Once he managed to catch his breath, he saluted both of them.

"Sir, ma'am. We need you. The king is calling," he said.

"Is it actually the king?" Denni asked, sounding very uninterested.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Fine. Here I come." Denni hauled herself out of her chair. She walked past Turles. "I'll handle this call. Why don't you go find the prince? I'm sure he has a few words to say to his father." She disappeared through the door. Turles sighed and followed her out.

When Denni saw Vegeta's frowning face on the large video screen, she smirked. As usual, he grunted his greeting. She nodded hers.

"Sire, you don't usually call so frequently. May I ask what the occasion is?"

"The queen is on Reikyakuki-sei," Vegeta said plainly.

Denni stopped walking. The smirk disappeared off of her face once she heard the name of the planet. She had spent five long years on Reikyakuki-sei. While it had not been exactly hell, it had not been a vacation, either. Cooler was a very demanding person and he had demanded a lot of Denni; a whole lot. It had almost been too much to bear until Bulma had sent Turles for her.

"What is she doing on Reikyakuki-sei, sire?" Denni croaked. Her eyebrows furrowed when she heard her voice.

"She's having engine trouble. It unfortunately happens to be the only planet close enough for her to do repairs. You wouldn't know if Cooler has any new 'toys,' would you?"

"No, sire. I haven't spoken with him in a long time." Denni cleared her throat. "Is this why you called?"

"No. I called about my son. Did you tell him?" Vegeta asked. Denni opened her mouth to answer but was quieted when the door opened and Trunks entered. Trunks saw Denni and then saw Vegeta's face. He almost smiled but just cleared his throat. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his son's more toughened appearance.

_The boy's growing up... finally_, he thought.

"Father," he said.

"Son." Vegeta gave Denni an eye. She turned and left the room with Turles. Once they were gone, Vegeta looked back at Trunks. "Did you receive the news from your commanding officer?" he asked. Trunks looked confused for a moment. Then it dawned on him what Vegeta meant.

"Yes, she did." Trunks crossed his arms. "And I refuse. I'm not doing that."

"Boy..."

"No! I refuse to do something so... so... so... barbaric! Did you have to kill your father?" Trunks asked. Vegeta just stared blandly at Trunks and Trunks rolled his eyes. "That was probably a dumb question to ask."

"It is a rite of passage, boy. It is what you are being groomed for," Vegeta said. "If you are to take the throne, you have to defeat me by taking my life..."

"I said no!" Trunks yelled. Vegeta sighed as he watched his son head for the door.

"Trunks..." Vegeta droned. Trunks stiffened at the sound of his name from his father. Vegeta rarely called him or his sister by their given names; Trunks especially. "Don't walk away from me, boy."

"Find someone else to succeed you. I won't if that is the only way I can," Trunks disappeared through the door, leaving a somewhat thunderstruck Vegeta.

In all but action, the prince had just given up his claim on the throne. Vegeta blinked as Denni and Turles came back into view. He removed the slightly aghast look from his face and frowned. He had another order of business with Denni.

"Are you okay, sire?" Denni asked.

"Fine. I have an assignment for you, Denni. I need you to go on a rescue mission for me," Vegeta said. Denni raised an eyebrow.

"A rescue mission, sire? I am the commanding officer of this base. I cannot just le..."

"You're the only one I can trust with this mission." Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "You're the only one I will trust with this mission," he repeated sternly. Denni nodded.

"Where am I going, sire?"

"Reikyakuki-sei."

* * *

Bulma watched as a few of her techs examined the damage done to her ships external engines. Brolly was at her side, as usual. So far, Bulma had not seen Cooler at all. She knew he was only a couple hundred of feet away in his residence. Bulma hoped he stayed there, too. There was one thing that Cooler did not know that Bulma hoped to keep from him.

Cooler did not know that Bulma had a daughter. He had absolutely no knowledge of Bra's existence. Bulma had to find a way of keeping Bra's power down. The six-year-old was most likely radiating energy like a nuclear weapon. Bra would never go for wearing an energy compressor. The child would sooner cut off her tail. Bulma chuckled at the thought.

"Queen Bulma. It's been far too long," a cold voice said. Bulma stiffened a bit. She put on a fake smile and turned around to face Cooler. The alien approached her slowly. "I am glad you made it safely."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Cooler. The landing went far smoother than I expected," Bulma said as Cooler stopped right in front of her. Bulma looked up at him. "You are looking... well," she said. Cooler smiled.

"I do try to maintain my looks, queen. You haven't aged a day yourself," he said. Bulma smirked. Cooler looked around. "I see you still keep the same company."

"Of course. Brolly is very loyal to me. He refuses to leave my side," Bulma said. Cooler nodded.

"I see. Why don't you come stay at my headquarters, queen? There is no need for you to stay out here in a broken ship," he said. Bulma shook her head.

"That is very generous of you and I thank you for your hospitality, Cooler. But, I think I will stay with my ship and techs."

"Nonsense. This dock is no place for a woman of your radia..." Cooler paused. He turned his head and looked towards Bulma's ship. Bulma watched him with a confused look on her face. She looked over at Brolly. Brolly mouthed "princess" to her. Bulma cursed under her breath.

"You know, I think I will take you up on that offer, Cooler," Bulma said quickly. Cooler looked back at Bulma. "Why don't you take me to your headquarters now? I will send for my things later. Besides, I'm absolutely famished," she said. Cooler smirked down at her.

"I knew you'd see it my way, queen. Right this way." Cooler led Bulma off. Bulma looked back at Brolly. Brolly nodded and went back inside the ship.

* * *

Inside the ship, Bra was sitting in Bulma's lab. The thick metal walls would hide the power Bra emitted a little, but not by much. Bra snuck towards the door of the lab, staying out of the sight of the techs that were supposed to be watching her. They were too busy working on whatever it was that Bulma was building. Bra pressed the button for the door to open and slid out. She made it all the way to the front of the ship, where she saw Brolly talking with some other soldiers. She hid behind a door.

Brolly passed the princess up. Before the gate closed, Bra made a mad dash for it. She rolled under it and outside into the dock. When she stood up, she looked around.

Some soldiers and techs were repairing the ships busted engines to her left. Others were patrolling the area to her right. Just ahead of her was the exit. Bra raised an eyebrow. She could feel her mother's power coming from a building in the center of the city they were in, however faint it was. The princess looked around her. No one had yet noticed her. She made a run for it and exited the docks.

* * *

Brolly walked in the lab, expecting to see the princess sulking up against the wall. That was where he and Bulma had left her. That was where she should have been. Instead, all that was there were techs fixing what looked like a big arc. Brolly looked over at them.

"Where's the princess?" Brolly asked. One of them turned around.

"I thought she was over there," he said. Brolly stalked over to them.

"Do you see her over there?" he asked, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. The tech shook his head slowly. "Where the hell is she?"

"I don't think she's here, sir," a soldier said from the door. Brolly faced him. The soldier was holding the charm bracelet that Bra always wore. It had been a gift from Bulma. "I found this outside."

"Call the king."

* * *

Five minutes later, Brolly was receiving the tongue-lashing of his life from Vegeta. Never had so many curses been strung together to form one coherent sentence before. Brolly knew that this was just the king venting frustration and worry. Logic and reason would soon take over and the king would start thinking of places his daughter could be. That happened sooner than expected.

"Where is the woman?" Vegeta asked somewhat hoarsely.

"She led Cooler away from the ship in an effort to keep the princess safe. Is it possible the princess is tracking the queen?" Brolly asked. Vegeta hummed his response.

"Quite possible. Either way it goes, the princess will probably be found out. I've sent Denni to you all. From Hadrian Nine's position in orbit, Denni should be there within the next day or so. When she gets there, tell her of the situation and send her to Cooler's headquarters. In the meantime, do nothing about the princess," Vegeta said. Brolly nearly choked on his own saliva.

"Do nothing, sire?" he repeated. Vegeta nodded.

"I did not stutter, Brolly. Do nothing. The bratling left on her own. If you go and rescue her, you'll only piss her off," Vegeta said. Brolly looked confused. "Trust me. The bratling is more independent than you think she is."

"Forgive me, sire, but this is Reikyakuki-sei and we are in Kohl. It's hardly the place for a Saiyan princess that only a privileged few even know about. Are you sure this is the right deci..."

"I know what I'm doing, Brolly. The bratling can take care of herself." Vegeta's face disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7: Round 1

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 7: Round 1**

* * *

Bra walked down the main street in Kohl in broad daylight. The young princess stuck out like a sore thumb among the bleakly-colored aliens. She winced as dust was kicked up around her and into her eyes. Oddly enough, no one had taken notice of the abnormally-colored Saiyan princess yet. Thinking nothing of it, Bra followed her mother's energy all the way to Cooler's enormous base in the center of the city.

Two guards were standing in front of the gates. Bra took note of their size. One was big, like Brolly. The other reminded her of the alien Brolly had told her to stay away from him she saw him. They did not seem to be taking their jobs all that seriously. Bra smiled and skipped right up to them. The larger one noticed her first.

"Hello!" Bra squeaked.

"Get lost, runt," the big one said. The short one glanced over at them.

"What do you want, kid? Get out of here!" he yelled at her. Bra looked at him, her smile never faltering.

"I wanna go inside. Can you let me in?" she asked sweetly. "Please?"

The big one made one mistake. He made eye contact with Bra. He nodded like an obedient dog and stepped to the side. His partner looked at him quizzically. He noticed the slightly dazed expression and how cloudy his partner's eyes were. Then he glared at Bra, who had already entered through the gates.

"You little witch!" he yelled at her. Bra turned around and stuck her tongue out at him before running away. She heard a struggle behind her and knew that the two guards were involved in a battle to the death, just like she had planned.

Bra climbed a tree to stay hidden. She searched for her mother's energy in the large compound before her. A smile crept to her face when she felt Bulma's minuscule signature in the rear of the compound.

_I'll take her by surprise_! the little Saiyan thought as she flew off.

* * *

Denni's space pod landed in the port of Kohl. After yelling at some of the workers, she was finally shown to the private hangar where Bulma's ship was being kept. When she got there, she found it in utter chaos.

Engineers were putting the panels back on the engines, nearing the completion of their work. Tools were in disarray. What confused Denni the most was that the queen was nowhere in sight and neither were any of her detail. She immediately boarded the ship and headed for the control room. Brolly was in his usual spot. He looked up when he noticed her.

"Before you start talking, let me ask this question." Denni sat across from him. "Do I even want to know?" she asked. Brolly just sighed.

* * *

Bulma stood on a balcony, holding a goblet of wine. Cooler had been drilling her with questions since she had arrived. Most of them had to do with her technological advances in warfare. After all, that was Bulma's area of expertise.

"It doesn't bother you that you build weapons of mass destruction, queen?" he asked. Bulma leaned forward against the railing of the balcony.

"Cooler, I'm _**MARRIED**_ to a weapon of mass destruction. I don't see why building them should affect me when I know my own husband is capable of the same kind of destruction. Besides," she took a sip of her wine, "I don't sell weapons to mass murderers."

Cooler watched her for a moment. Bulma tried not to notice him looking at her. Instead, she turned to look at the city over the wall. Then she felt the air displacement behind her. Bulma stood up straight with a subtle movement, continuing to stare directly ahead.

"Would you sell me any weapons, queen?" Cooler asked from behind her.

"No. Knowing the way your foul, little mind works, genocide would be the outcome of such a transaction," Bulma said.

"You have mistaken me for my brother, queen," Cooler said with a chuckle. Bulma turned her head to the side, knowing he was still behind her.

"Have I?" A long pause followed as Cooler contemplated just what she was getting at. Bulma smirked and faced the wall again. "Besides, they'd only go to waste, Cooler. You'd never use them."

"Why would you think such a thing? Of course I would."

"Your _**EGO**_ wouldn't allow you to. You prefer to watch your victims die; the up close and personal approach to butchery," Bulma said dryly.

"You know me far too well, queen," Cooler said with a smirk.

"I suppose I do. Anything else you wish to ask?" Bulma faced him.

"Yes." Cooler stepped closer to her and leaned in to her ear. Bulma did not flinch. "How is your baby girl?" he asked as she was taking a sip of her wine.

Bulma's breath caught as she swallowed. She watched Cooler step away from her. As quickly as the surprise had appeared on her face, confusion replaced it as she furrowed her eyebrows in question.

"I don't have a daughter, Cooler. Just a slacker son," she said. Cooler just smiled. "What?"

"How easily the lies come to those luscious pink lips of yours, queen. And I suppose you didn't go to Grexia, either?" he asked. Bulma's face did not change, but her fear was steadily growing.

_How does he know all of this_?

"Choose your next words carefully, queen."

"I didn't go to Grexia. What would I, Queen of Vegeta-sei and Earth, look like in a place like that?"

The words had barely finished being said before Cooler's hand closed around Bulma's tiny neck. Bulma dropped her goblet, spilling wine around their feet. She began to claw at Cooler's hand. Cooler just smiled evilly at her.

"You little, little liar. Queens shouldn't have to lie, Queen Bulma. Why would you lie to me?" Cooler asked. Bulma narrowed her eyes at him.

"What makes you think I am lying?" she ground out.

"Why else would you be way out here, queen? Certainly not to make a house call on me." Cooler loosened his vice grip on her a bit. "Why were you there?"

"Why do you care?" Cooler pinched her. "Equipment!" she yelled.

"I see. As good a reason as any other, I suppose. I have no interest in your scientific endeavors for the moment. What does interest me is your daughter."

"I already told you that..." Bulma gasped loudly when Cooler's nails dug into her skin.

"Why do you lie? I thought we were friends, queen. Do you not trust me?" Cooler asked. Bulma glared at him.

"Do you really want the answer to that question?" she mumbled. Cooler smirked and tightened his grip.

"Where is she?"

Bulma could no longer gather the air to scream. Her lungs would simply not fill. In a moment, they would begin to burn. Cooler was slowly killing her. She was really going to die right here, right...

A blue light flashed between Bulma and Cooler. Bulma blinked and stumbled backwards out of the wine she had been standing in. She fell on the floor, wheezing. Then she realized that there was a hand and forearm extending from her neck. She immediately pulled it off and noticed that Cooler was indeed missing his right arm from the elbow down. He did not seem too concerned about it, though. Something to his right had caught his attention. Still rubbing her neck, Bulma looked to her left. Her eyes widened.

_Bra_, she thought.

Sure enough, the six-year-old was levitating a few feet from the balcony. She was glaring maliciously at Cooler. Bulma got to her feet. She had never seen such venom in Bra's eyes before. It was as if the child was possessed.

"Don't touch my mommy," Bra said. Cooler smirked. He glanced over at Bulma.

"Just a slacker son, eh?" he mused aloud. Bulma looked away from him and back at Bra.

"Bra, go back to the..." Bulma stopped as Cooler pulled her closer to him with his left arm. "I'd release me."

"I'm curious about the runt's power. Does she always exhibit such raw fearlessness?" Cooler asked.

"Bra's always been fearless; she's half-Saiyan." Bulma wriggled free of Cooler. As she turned to face him, a blue blur flew by her. Bulma blinked and noticed that Cooler was gone. She turned her head to the right. "Bra?"

Bra was holding Cooler against the stone wall. In his weakened state, the alien could not do much against the six-year-old. It took Bulma a moment to realize what was happening. She took a step forward, but another voice stopped her.

"Queen Bulma!" Denni called from behind Bulma. She landed next to Bulma and looked the shocked queen over. "Where's the pri..." Denni glanced towards the wall. "Oh..."

Bra narrowed her eyes into slits. Cooler just smirked down at the child. He did not believe that she was in control of any of her actions. Unfortunately, that was an assumption he would come to regret.

"Don't ever touch my mommy again," Bra said.

"Or what, youngling? Your mommy and I go way back. Do I have you to fear if I 'touch' her again?" Cooler taunted. Bra placed a tiny hand on his abdomen. For a moment she looked nothing like Bulma; she resembled Vegeta.

"Yeah." A big blue blast that had no business whatsoever coming from a six-year-old girl shot through Cooler, the wall, and several rooms behind it. The alien looked down at the gaping hole in his body before glaring back up at an even more shocked Bulma. The three watched Cooler fall back.

"Is he..." Bulma started. Denni chuckled.

"Dead? Far from it. He's been through worse." An alarm started to sound. "He'll be pleasantly pissed when he's regenerated himself, though. I think we should leave," she said. Bulma nodded and glanced at Bra.

"Bra honey?" She began to approach her daughter. Bra turned around, yawning and rubbing her eye.

"Mommy, I'm sle..." The child passed out. Bulma managed to catch her. She faced Denni just as some of Cooler's guards appeared. Denni moved quickly towards Bulma, scooping her up and flying off.

* * *

Back at the ship, Brolly had it already in the air. Denni made it to the gate with the queen and princess. He immediately had the gate closed after they flew in. Without a word, Bulma took her daughter to the infirmary. Bra was not hurt, but she always woke up with a headache after one of her episodes.

After sitting with her daughter in silence for a moment or two, Bulma left for the control room. She stopped in her lab for a certain object that she had to drag because of its weight. Then she continued on to the control room. Denni and Brolly were waiting for her there.

Brolly stood as Bulma approached him, dragging the large object behind her with an effort. She was two strides from him when she put both hands on the object and swung it. It went clear across Brolly's face. Denni winced as she heard bones crack. Brolly held his head to the side for a moment and then glanced back at the queen. Her whole body was turned and she was breathing hard.

"Why... No... _**HOW**_ the _**FUCK**_ did my daughter get into Kohl? How did she find me?" Then she looked at Denni. "And how or why are you here?"

"Well, the king sent me to help, your majesty," Denni said. Bulma stared at her for a moment, considering her answer. Then she nodded.

"Fair enough." She turned her murderous glare back on Brolly. "Brolly?"

"She escaped somehow," he answered. Bulma squeezed the object. She swung it again across Brolly's head. Denni winced again. Brolly spit out blood and with it a tooth. Bulma's momentum was so great that she had to release the heavy object in order for her to stop. Someone in the front of the control room caught it before it could do anymore damage. Bulma glared back at Brolly.

"Brolly, she's a fucking _**QUASAR**_ when it comes to energy! How did you not notice _**THAT**_ much energy sneaking past you?" Bulma all but yelled. Brolly did not answer. Denni looked between the two.

"Perhaps the princess has learned to disguise her power. It would make sense. She is very, very smart," Denni said.

Bulma thought about that for a moment. Bra was her daughter. Plus, she did train with Vegeta sometimes.

_I should give that man a piece of my mind_... Bulma looked towards the video screen.

* * *

**10 minutes later...**

"_**YOU WHAT**_?!" Bulma yelled.

Vegeta had just told her that he had held the search party back. Now Bulma was holding a stress ball, wishing it was Vegeta's head.

"Calm down, woman. This just shows that the bratling's survival techniques are far better than expected. This sort of thing builds character in a good monarch. You're not having enough faith in your daughter," Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, she's six! If she was ten, perhaps I'd be a little more understanding." Bulma sat down. She was starting to get a migraine. "Bra attacked Cooler."

This interested Vegeta. He knew of his daughter's violent outbursts. He also knew that Bra was well aware of what she was doing in one. It might not have been the most rational train of thought, but she knew what was going on.

"So what happened?" Vegeta asked. Bulma sighed.

"Cooler lost an arm and got a hole blown through him." A smirk came to her face as she glanced up at Vegeta. "I think it's safe to say Bra won." She began chuckling.

"Just come home, woman." Vegeta cut the transmission.

* * *

Trunks and Goten strolled through the marketplace in Halcyon, the capital city of a planet in the empire called Aurelius. The inhabitants were humanoid, mostly blonde, and from what Trunks and Goten could tell, all female. Some looked at the Saiyan teenagers with disdain while others appeared intrigued.

But they were all in absolute awe of Trunks.

"I think you have fans, Trunks," Goten whispered. Trunks took notice of the women, young and old, occasionally ogling him. "Maybe it's these luscious locks of yours." Goten ruffled Trunks' hair. The young prince had let his lavender hair grow to his shoulders.

"Shut up, Goten. Why are we on a planet full of women, anyway? How did we get stuck with this mission?" Trunks asked. He watched a particularly pretty, half-naked lady walk past him. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Of course not. Why would you?" Paris said from behind them. As usual, Liss was standing quietly beside her.

"What do you want?" Trunks asked. Paris produced a transcript Trunks could only assume was their mission.

"You left Hadrian Nine without it, _**YOUR MAJESTY**_," Paris said snidely.

"What does it say?" Goten asked.

"We have to pick up something from the mines for your mother," Liss said. Trunks crossed his arms and frowned.

"Since when have I become an errand boy for Mother? Doesn't she have techs for this sort of thing?" he complained.

"Apparently, this is something that requires a bit of muscle to protect it." Goten looked back at Trunks. "It's a Level Zero mission."

This got Trunks' attention. In the Saiyan military protocol, there were 10 different ranks given to missions. The ranks were given based on importance and/or difficulty to complete the mission. Chance of survival was taken into account as well. The levels ranged from 0 to 9; 0 being the highest and 9 being the lowest. This potentially dangerous mission the teenagers had been given evidently ranked among the most lethal.

"So where is this mine and what are we looking for?" Trunks asked.

"The mine is outside the city. We're getting an adamantine ormulo. There's a warning that says it's toxic. We head straight to Vegeta-sei once we have it," Liss said quietly. Trunks nodded.

"Well, let's go." He started walking. The other three followed, knowing that the prince was the unspoken leader of the group.

The adamantine ormulo was an oddly-shaped red stone no bigger than your average uncut diamond. It was emitting its own light. The miners seemed to know of the queen's request. One of the miners approached Trunks with a box containing the precious stone. Before she handed it over, she looked Trunks firmly in the eye.

"This substance is very, very dangerous. Not only is it toxic, but it is very sensitive. The slightest bit of jarring could set it off. If it is tampered with, it will create a rip in time and space, not explode."

"A black hole?" Trunks questioned.

"Something of the sort," the woman replied. "It is also the target of space pirates. It's a very valuable asset on the black market. Be safe, your majesty." She handed the box over to Trunks.

For something so ridiculously lethal, it was surprisingly light. Trunks turned towards Goten, Liss, and Paris. His whole countenance had changed; it was time to take care of business. The others stepped in closer to listen to their prince.

"At every checkpoint, we will hand it off. There are exactly four checkpoints from here to Vegeta-sei. If we stop at all four, when we arrive at Vegeta-sei, I should have it back. Let's go," Trunks said. The others all nodded. Trunks took the air and the other three followed.

* * *

Slowly, the repaired gate of Bulma's ship lowered in front of Vegeta. He stood with his arms crossed, feet shoulder-width apart, cape billowing out behind him, staring vacantly out at the forlorn ship. Since his last talk with his wife, they had not spoken. He assumed she was either working, fussing over Bra, or both. His money was on the third option. The woman always worried too much.

But in her "radio silence," a new problem had arisen. She had Vegeta's permission to be concerned when she heard about it.

"_**DADDY**_!"

Before Vegeta could brace himself, his daughter had plowed into his abdomen. The sheer force of her momentum sent them flying a few feet back and into the ground. Vegeta had honestly _**NOT**_ expected that. _**AT ALL**_. Now Bra was sitting cross-legged on top of him, rambling about her adventures like nothing had happened. And he was under her, completely winded.

_She really doesn't know her own strength_, Vegeta thought. He had zoned out and had not seen his daughter coming. Still, the most he should have felt was a punch to the gut. He took note that Bra had grown a few inches. _She can at least hide it well_...

"Is there a reason you two are on this dusty ground?" Bulma stood over them, blocking out one of the suns. Bra looked up and smiled.

"I knocked Daddy down," she said with a deceptively innocent giggle.

"Did you now?" Bulma smiled and crossed her arms. The look in Vegeta's eyes promised all sorts of revenge if she laughed. Instead, Bulma pulled Bra off her father and Vegeta stood. "Bra, go find some... one to beat up, hmm?"

"Okay!" The child skipped off towards the palace, leaving her parents behind.

Vegeta and Bulma moved at a slower pace. Bulma was more or less following Vegeta. He still had yet to say anything to her. Bulma realized that he was heading towards a relatively secluded area in the palace. No one but Vegeta (and Bulma) was allowed. It was the Rose Garden.

When they entered the greenhouse, Bulma stepped around her oddly-silent husband. The roses were everywhere. They were in different colors, too. Red, white, canary yellow, pink, etc. Bulma walked over to the center of the garden and faced Vegeta. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could, Vegeta finally spoke.

"The Galactic Police sent me a notice yesterday," Vegeta said. Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"What? Have some overdue parking tickets at one of the docks? I swear they are always trying to find a way to milk us for money," she said with a laugh. She sat down on a fountain's edge and played with the water. After a moment, she noticed Vegeta's silence again. "What is it, Vegeta?" She did not face him.

"There's a warrant," Vegeta sighed, "for the bratling's arrest," he finished.

Bulma turned on him so fast that her hair fell out of the knot it was in. She stood up, squeezing her fists together at her sides. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. So far, she was taking it rather well. Ten years ago, Bulma would have been ripping down rose vines. Now she was just trying to draw blood from her palms. He prepared himself for the screeching that was sure to come.

"But she's _**SIX**_! Who arrests a fucking _**KID**_?" Bulma took a few deeps breaths and looked down. Then she crossed her arms and looked up at her husband. Vegeta noticed she looked like a totally different person. "On what charge?" she asked calmly.

"Assault and attempted murder of a high-ranking official," Vegeta said dryly. Bulma blinked.

"Assa... atte... mur..." Bulma could not even form the words. She looked away from Vegeta. "High-ranking official? Who?"

"Cooler."

"What?"

"He does rule several planets, woman." Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose. Bulma watched him. It was such an... un-Vegeta-like action. She cleared her throat.

"We're going to Sentra Five to clear this up right now." Bulma started to walk towards the exit past Vegeta. Vegeta grabbed her arm. She turned and faced him. "What, Vegeta?"

"What are you doing, woman?"

"I'm not letting them take my little girl. They aren't coming to my home to drag her out like some common criminal. The council will know of my wrath." She shrugged Vegeta off and left the garden. Vegeta sighed and followed her out at his own pace.

_Damn she's beautiful when she's mad_, he thought with a smirk.


	8. Chapter 8: Protective

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 8: Protective**

**

* * *

**

Trunks, Goten, Paris, and Liss landed in the pod docks in Venova. When Trunks walked in the palace, he was greeted not with his parents but with the news that his parents had departed for Sentra 5 by Bardock. The prince raised an eyebrow.

"What are they going to Sentra Five for?" Trunks asked. Bardock cleared his throat and looked at his grandson. Goten got the message that Trunks could potentially fly off the handle at the news.

"Well, your majesty, the princess has encountered a bit of trouble with the Galactic Police and..."

"Wait a minute!" Trunks ran a hand through his hair. "Bra's a kid. What the hell do the GP want with her?"

"She almost killed Cooler," Bardock said quickly.

For a moment, all Trunks and the others did was stare at the older council member. Then they broke into uncontrollable laughter. Bardock could not really find anything funny with the situation that Trunks' younger sister found herself in at the present moment. But the teenagers were leaning against the wall, pounding against it and using it to keep from falling on the floor. Trunks wiped a few tears from his eyes.

"Seriously, Bardock. Why do the GP want Bra?" he asked.

"Just that. Your sister went into one of her rages and apparently Cooler is pressing charges against her," Bardock said. The laughter stopped. Trunks blinked a few times.

"Are you shittin' me?" Trunks asked. Bardock shook his head. Trunks immediately left the room.

"Your majesty..."

"I'm going to Sentra Five," he said decisively. Bardock paused. Trunks' tone was so reminiscent of Vegeta's that he knew that there was no room for argument. He just looked at his grandson.

"Go with him," he said. Goten nodded and ran after the irate prince.

* * *

Bulma stood on the observation deck of one of Vegeta's ships. She was still fuming. She was squeezing herself with her arms. All she could think about was killing the next living thing she saw. Then she felt a pair of arms slowly make their way around her waist. Bulma did not flinch, as she knew there was only one person who could sneak up on her like this. She felt some of the tension in her body melt away.

"You are thinking too much," Vegeta said quietly in her ear.

"I'm wondering why you're so calm about this situation," Bulma said, not looking at him. Vegeta rested his chin in the crook of her neck.

"I have ways of quelling my anger, woman. You know that."

"Beating people to bloody pulps is one."

"Perhaps," Vegeta said with a smirk.

"Should we have waited for Trunks?"

"The boy knows where we are headed. After he has completed his first mission, then he is given the choice to follow." Vegeta looked at Bulma's neck. "Knowing him, he will follow. His protectiveness for the bratling rivals mine."

"Vegeta," Bulma looked at him, "no one rivals you in overall protectiveness over Bra. That's why I'm so surprised at this level of calmness from you. Are you sure you aren't just saving it up?"

"I'm going to Sentra Five to get rid of this nonsense, woman. I've said it once and I'll say it again. You do the talking in this family. I do the fighting," Vegeta said. He kissed her neck. Bulma tried to wiggle away from him.

"Vegeta, not while Bra's so close. It's not like we can just lock her in her..." Bulma let him turn her around. He pushed her against the glass. "Why don't you ever let me finish?"

"Because you talk too damn much."

* * *

Sentra 5 was bustling, as usual. When the Royal Family of the Saiyan Empire arrived, they were literally ambushed by the Galactic Police the second they stepped off of the ship. Bra was skipping down the ramp behind her parents, not paying attention to the mayhem ahead of her. She ran directly into her mother's legs. Bulma barely noticed the impact as she stumbled forward a bit. Instead, she eyed the soldiers who were pointing weapons at them.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked.

"You have a wanted criminal with you, Queen Bulma. We are here to take that criminal into custody until their hearing," one of the policemen said. Bulma looked at Vegeta, who still looked relatively calm about the situation. Then she glanced back at the policeman.

"We will take her. You don't have to worry about her escaping. She's a child," Bulma said. The policeman shook his head.

"Those are not my orders, your majesty. My orders are to bring her in as soon as she arrived," he said. Bulma crossed her arms.

"On whose authority?" she asked.

"Councilman Yaeger."

Bulma's eyes narrowed. She hated that man with a passion. She swore he was always out to get her since the day she met him back when she was still a princess herself. Now here he was spreading his loathsome hate to her daughter. Bulma crossed her arms.

"You can tell Councilman Yaeger that he can kiss my ass. My daughter stays with her parents," she said.

"Your majesty, I was ordered to use force if necessary," the policeman said. Bulma found it hard that they would be able to subdue the Saiyan army she had backing her... until she saw the weapons they were holding. She inwardly groaned.

_Energy suppressors. Why do I invent such things_? she though morbidly.

"Get the princess," the policeman said. Bulma stood protectively in front of her daughter. Bra's eyes widened when she noticed one of the policeman pointing an energy suppressor at her. She turned towards her father.

"Daddy!" She ran towards him. Vegeta scooped her up immediately with his left arm. Bra clung to him. With his other arm, he formed a blue ball of energy and held it at the main policeman's face. Bulma watched this with a blank face. Vegeta continued to look very impassive.

"Call your men off. We will do this _**OUR**_ way," he said.

"King Vegeta..." The policeman was cut off as Vegeta doubled the size of the ball. The policeman could feel the heat of the ball against his face.

"No one touches the princess. Tell Yaeger he will see her when _**I**_ say so. If that day comes fifty years from now then so be it. Got it?" Vegeta threatened. The policeman nodded fervently. He called his men off and they scattered. Vegeta dispelled the ball and lowered his arm. Then he looked at his wife.

"Finally. A little emotion," Bulma said sarcastically. "So, when should I inform Yaeger that we'll see him?" she asked, stroking Bra's hair as she continued to cling to Vegeta.

"When the boy gets here," Vegeta said. He turned to go back in the ship. Bulma looked back out around the ship before following closely.

* * *

Trunks arrived two days later with Goten.

And he was pissed.

"Where is she?" the young prince asked as he entered the ship. He walked around to the observation deck where his mother was sitting. Bra was playing with one of Vegeta's training bots. When she saw Trunks she smiled and ran to her brother.

"Trunks!" She jumped up and into his arms, sending him flying back into Goten.

"Hi, Trunks. Hi, Goten," Bulma said without looking up from her work. "Bra's put on a lot of... muscle." She looked down at the trio. Trunks was sitting up and Goten followed suit. Both looked winded while Bra was smiling happily.

"Mommy, are you calling me fat?"

"No dear. I'm calling you strong," Bulma said.

"Am I stronger than Trunks and Goten?"

"Maybe you will be one day."

"If I am, will I get to be king?" Bra asked, sitting down next to Bulma.

"Bra, we've already had..."

"Mom, is all this really true about her being arrested?" Trunks quickly changed the subject. Bulma looked over at him and nodded. "Who arrests a kid? That's nonsense!"

"No, Trunks. I think it has more or less to do with Cooler's bruised ego than anything. Bra destroyed half his body and he was powerless to stop it. I guess a little girl getting the best of him got to him; a little girl that looks like me," Bulma said.

"Cooler, Cooler, Cooler... Isn't that the one who has that creepy crush on you that Father hates?" Trunks asked.

"That would be him, Trunks."

"Mommy, what's a 'crush?'" Bra asked.

"That's when person likes another person in a lovey-dovey way."

"Eeewww!" Bra squealed. "I'm _**NEVER**_ gonna like someone that way! That's nasty!"

"Yes it is, Bra. Keep that attitude for a long, long time," Trunks said. Bra nodded and jumped off her mother's seat. She went back over to play with her father's training bot. "Where's Father?" Trunks asked.

"Behind you," Bulma said. Trunks jumped and faced a placid-looking Vegeta. Vegeta acknowledged him with a curt nod and walked around him, setting his sights on Bra. Bulma rolled her eyes and looked back at Trunks. "Did you get what I asked of you, Trunks?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, you mean that little sphere thingy? Yeah. It's back on Vegeta-sei," Trunks answered. Bulma nodded.

"Good job, Trunks. I trust you had no problems during transport?" she asked. Trunks shrugged his response. Bulma nodded again and looked away. "I suppose we should get ready to go see the council. The sooner we get this hearing over with, the sooner I can leave and finish this project. Bra, come! We must get you ready," she called to her daughter.

Bra threw the training bot into the wall as her mother called for her. The metal object made a small dent from the force and still ended up a heap of nuts and bolts. Bra ran over to her mother, waving at her father, Trunks, and Goten. The two aqua-haired females left the deck, leaving the men alone. Vegeta cleared his throat and Trunks and Goten looked at him.

"Trunks, stay here at the ship," Vegeta said firmly. His tone did not leave it up for question, but Trunks made to refuse.

"Why? I want to come, too. I want to see what all this bull is about. It doesn't make sense. Plus, Bra would want me to be there as much as you. I didn't come here to watch the ship," he said. Vegeta walked up to him.

"Watch. The. Ship," he said. Then he left.

Trunks squeezed his fists together. Sometimes he thought his father completely abused his title as "Father." He turned and looked at Goten.

"I really don't like him right now," he whispered. Goten just laughed nervously.

"Could be worse. He could have us do it naked," he said. Trunks glared over at him and rolled his eyes before walking away.

* * *

The building where the Galactic Council convened looked more like a torture chamber than a place where laws were made. As the Saiyan Royal Family sans the Crown Prince approached the building with several guards surrounding them, Bra grew closer and closer to her father. Eventually, she was hidden completely by his cape. Bulma looked down and saw her daughter cowering.

"Bra, I thought you were going to be brave. Brave princesses do not hide behind their fathers," Bulma said.

Bra glanced up at her mother. Although Bulma's face was slightly obscured by the light behind her, Bra could see the reassuring gaze she was giving her. Bra nodded and stepped out from under Vegeta's cape and continued walking between her parents. Vegeta glanced over at Bulma.

"Nice job, woman. Looks like you know how to toughen the bratling up as well," he mumbled. Bulma frowned at him before softening her face.

"Whatever, husband."

It was not five minutes later that the young princess found herself sitting alone before a panel of old aliens. They were all glowering at her as if they had never seen a child in their lives. Bra looked up and down the panel, unafraid of any of the aliens. She was just curious about them.

"She looks harmless. She doesn't look like she could hurt a fly," one of the old aliens said. Bra's face scrunched up.

_I can to hurt a fly! I'm the strongest in my class_! she thought angrily. Her mother had warned her not to say anything at all unless she was directly spoken to.

"She's half-Saiyan. I assure you she can hurt a fly plus much more. The bloodline she comes from is also of formidable power. Do not let that sugary sweet face fool you, gentlemen," a voice said. "Even if it is a carbon copy of her dear mother."

Bulma cringed in her seat. She turned her head and saw Yaeger speaking. She glanced back at Bra. The child seemed more irritated than anything else. She was gripping the sides of the seat she sat in as if she really wanted to stand up and walk out. If there was one thing Bulma knew her daughter would not tolerate it was being talked around.

"Princess, do you know why you are here?" Yaeger asked.

Bra set her eyes on the strange alien. "Yes," she said blandly.

"Why?"

"Because you think I hurt that guy Cooler on purpose," Bra answered. She placed her hands on her knees and squeezed them.

"Are you aware that this is a very serious charge against you?" Yaeger asked.

Bra nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now, princess, did you hurt Cooler on purpose?"

"Yes."

She stated it so simply and like it was something said in every day conversation. Even Bulma was a little surprised at her daughter's response. Vegeta did not seem fazed by it at all. He just continued to watch coolly. It was as if he had known all along that she would respond in that fashion.

However, Yaeger seemed astonished. "You _**DID**_ what you did on purpose? You do know what that implies, princess?"

"Yes."

Bulma swore her daughter must have aged ten years before her very eyes.

"Vegeta, what's she doing?" she whispered. "Why is she saying this?"

"She's telling the truth, woman. What do you want her to say?" Vegeta looked over at Bulma. She could only sigh and roll her eyes.

"Why did you attack Cooler, princess?"

"He was hurting Mommy. I told Daddy that I would protect Mommy and I did," Bra said.

"He was hurting your mother? How?" someone else asked.

Bra put her hand around her neck. "He was choking Mommy like this. So, I blasted his arm off. Then he grabbed Mommy again. So, I got rid of any body parts that could touch Mommy. Only Daddy can touch Mommy," she said.

Yaeger stared cautiously at the blue-eyed princess. She was definitely more Saiyan than human. Only a Saiyan would resort to such violence to protect something they cared about.

"Princess, you..."

"Can I go now? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I was just trying to save Mommy from that creepy alien that kept trying to touch on her." Bra squirmed in her chair.

The council deliberated amongst themselves for a moment. After hearing enough of their banter, Chancellor Cregg smiled over at the young princess. Bra apparently liked the look in his eyes and smiled back at him.

"Okay, little princess. You may go and this whole nasty mess be forgotten. However, let me give you a piece of advice. Try not to attempt murder on _**EVERYONE**_ who comes within ten feet of your mother. She'll never make any friends that way," he said.

Bra nodded. "May I go now?"

"You may go."

* * *

Outside the courtroom, Bulma waited for her daughter to meet her. The doors opened and the miniature blue-haired replica of herself started to zoom towards her. Bulma kneeled to meet her daughter. Bulma saw something flash out of the corner of her eye. Then she flinched as blood flew in her face. Bra flew into her outstretched arms, wheezing.

Vegeta noticed his wife and daughter knock into his legs. At first he figured that Bra had just knocked Bulma over with her velocity. Then she noticed that Bra was not giggling in her usual giddy way. Instead, there was uncharacteristic wheezing coming from his daughter. Bulma sat up quickly from off him and he saw the blood on her face.

"Woman?"

"Bra? Bra, talk to me," Bulma said urgently. Bra's eyes were closed. Bulma tried to wake her daughter. "Bra, come on. Speak to me, sweetie. Speak to Mommy."

"Mommy... I can't..." Bra started coughing.

Bulma looked up at Vegeta. "She's dying, Vegeta. I need to get her to a tank now. Now! Now! Now!" Bulma yelled.

Ignoring Bulma's minor tantrum, Vegeta calmly scooped his daughter up from his wife. He looked at Brolly, who nodded. Brolly picked up the hysterical Bulma and followed after Vegeta.

* * *

Trunks was probably expecting to get yelled at for being such a slacker when his parents arrived. He was expecting to get trampled by his younger sister. He was even expecting his parents to be at each other's throats with insults as they usually were. He was not, however, expecting his sister to be bleeding all over his father and his mother to be a frenzied mess.

"What the hell happened?" Trunks asked as he attempted to keep up with Vegeta as he headed towards the infirmary of the ship.

"You'll have to ask your mother. I wasn't watching." Vegeta shook his head. "Why wasn't I fucking _**WATCHING**_?" he yelled.

Trunks ran ahead of his father. He made it to the room first and ordered the techs to turn on a tank. By the time they got Bra into it, it was hit-or-miss whether she would live. There was only so much a regeneration tank could do.

"Hey. What happened? I came as soon as I..." Goten stopped talking when he saw the princess floating in the green liquid. "Trunks, what happened?"

"I wish I knew, Goten. Mom's too frantic to talk to right now and Father says he didn't see anything until Bra was already like this. We're just gonna have to wait until everyone calms down," Trunks replied.

* * *

Bulma rolled over when she heard the door to the bedroom open. She did not want to be seen by anyone. She just wanted to lay in the dark where no one could see or hear her. Maybe all her troubles would disappear.

"Woman, you're not going to fool me. I know you're not asleep," Vegeta said.

"I wasn't pretending to be asleep, Vegeta. I was letting you know that I don't want to talk," Bulma shot back irritably.

"Well, you must talk. I want to know what you saw," he said.

Bulma turned her head to look at him. "What I saw?"

"You had to have seen something. I want to know who or what tried to kill my daughter," Vegeta said.

"It takes a hole in her lung for you to refer to her as such..." Bulma turned back over. "I saw nothing. But I did see something in my eye. It was a brief flash of light. And then Bra flew into my arms, bleeding. And now..." Bulma burst into tears.

Vegeta inwardly sighed. He hated it when she cried. He would allow it now because it involved their child. Still, the sound of her tears made him angry and not because she was crying; it was because something had caused her to cry. Whatever was causing her sadness must die. He could not very well go kill his daughter, so he had to find out what had tried to kill Bra.

But first, he had to get them off of Sentra 5.

* * *

Brolly stared at the body that had been left at the gate of the ship. It was a bloody, mangled mess. Whoever had murdered the poor sap had a good time doing it; he looked as though he had been put through a blender. Body parts were barely visible let alone discernible.

"Who left this here?" Brolly asked no one in particular.

"It was someone in a cloak. All I could see were red eyes. They said in this really childish voice 'he did it.' Then they just left," one of the guards said.

"What do you mean left?" Brolly asked, though he had a pretty good idea who it was.

"As in they took to the sky, sir."

Brolly nodded and walked back inside the ship. "Get the body inside. The king will want to have a look at it before we discard it."

* * *

When Vegeta did see the body, all he did was simply stare at it. Even he had never seen something so grotesque before. Brolly was still in the room next to him. One of Bulma's techs had managed to lay the body out in some sort of perceptible fashion so that one could tell different appendages from the others. The race of the alien became clear once that was all done.

"Cooler sent someone to kill the bratling. How predictable," Vegeta mumbled. He heard footsteps behind him. He could only assume Trunks and Goten were coming.

And come they did.

Trunks took one look at the body and lost his dinner in the corner of the room. Goten tried to keep his in. However, seeing Trunks unsuccessfully hold his dinner was not a great help and he failed. He took the corner across the room.

Sighing inwardly, Vegeta got ready to speak when more footsteps were heard. These were quite softer than the Trunks and Goten's. All of the men exchanged glances.

Bulma was coming.

The queen entered the room with a grave look on her face. She all but shoved her husband out of the way and glanced down at the body on the illuminated examination table. Her face was unreadable. She glanced back up at Vegeta.

"A changeling. One of Cooler's, no doubt. He sent someone to kill my baby girl..."

"We will not retaliate," Vegeta said quickly. Bulma opened her mouth to speak and Vegeta held up a hand. "Violence only begets more violence, woman. This heathen was left at our gate before we left Sentra Five..."

"We left already?" Bulma asked. Vegeta nodded, seeing the worry in her eyes. "Vegeta, there was a magnetic storm coming! We weren't supposed to leave until tomorrow!"

"Woman, we can fly through magnetic storms. I thought you equipped the ship for things like that," he said.

"I didn't plan on my daughter being in a regeneration tank!" Bulma ran out of the room.

_Why does everything happen to me? Why is there never a dull moment in my_... Bulma's head knocked against the wall as the ship entered the storm. Right before she hit the floor, Vegeta caught her deftly.

"Silly woman," he muttered as he hefted her unconscious form over his shoulder.

"Father, what will happen to Bra?" Trunks asked.

"I don't know, boy. The one who does has succeeded in knocking herself unconscious. Get to the bratling's tank. If anything goes wrong, break the glass and get her out. I'm going to drop the woman somewhere she can rest," Vegeta said. Trunks nodded and parted ways with his father.

"What if she's turned into an alien?" Goten asked.

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Technically, she is an alien, Goten," he said.

"Yeah. But from whose perspective? Saiyan or human?"

"You know something? That is actually a pretty good ques..."

Trunks and Goten stopped walking as they entered the room where the regeneration tanks were. Most were offline. What was strange was that Bra's was off and empty. There were goopy, green footprints leading to the bathroom. Goten and Trunks exchanged bewildered glances. How had Bra gotten out by herself? She was too small to reach the controls alone.

"Bra?" Trunks called to his sister. "Bra, where are you?" He approached the bathroom slowly.

"Trunks?"

It sounded like Bra's voice, albeit a bit... deeper, if that was the right way to describe it. But everyone occasionally sounded different for a while after being in the tanks. Trunks still could not see Bra, though. He continued approaching the bathroom.

"Bra, why are you hiding? You're okay, aren't you?" he asked.

"I... think so." She stepped out of the bathroom. Trunks and Goten's eyes widened. "Am I okay?"


	9. Chapter 9: The Rivalry Begins

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 9: The Rivalry Begins**

**

* * *

**

"Trunks, say something," Bra said.

Trunks and Goten were speechless. Bra appeared healthy enough. All body parts were where they needed to be. She had not sprouted any extra appendages. Her hair had not changed color or anything. Besides the fact that she was still dripping in the green substance from the tank, she seemed perfectly fine as she stood with her hands behind her back, twisting her foot into the floor.

"Trunks!" Bra squealed.

Trunks finally came out of his stupor and looked his sister in the face. He glanced behind him at Goten. He swallowed and smiled back at Bra. "There's nothing wrong with you, Bra. You look... fine. Um, why don't you go wash up and wait for Mom or Father to come down."

Bra nodded and turned back inside the bathroom. She shut the door. When they heard the water running, the teenagers looked at one another.

"Trunks, what the hell happened?" Goten asked.

Trunks shrugged. "I don't know! She was only in there for a few minutes during the storm. My father is going to kill me!" Trunks whispered loudly.

"What would cause me to commit such a travesty?" Vegeta asked dryly from the door.

Trunks and Goten winced at the sound of his voice. They looked up as the elder Saiyan as he strolled in the room. He seemed to notice the mess on the floor and recognized the noise in the bathroom. It appeared that his daughter was alive and well.

"So, uh, how's Mom?" Trunks asked, trying to change the subject.

"Unconscious. She'll wake up sooner or later. Her head's had worse trauma." Vegeta turned to leave. "When the bratling is finish showering, bring her to..."

"_**DADDY**_!"

Vegeta's eyes widened. That was not his daughter's voice. Well, it was her voice. But it somehow seemed... different. Before Vegeta could turn around completely to face whoever was trying to impersonate his daughter, he was tackled by a blue-haired teenaged girl dressed in nothing but a towel.

Trunks and Goten watched as Vegeta went flying backwards with Bra. Or the girl they assumed was Bra. While the scene had been funny when Bra was in a 6-year-old's body, it was absolutely hysterical while she was in a 16-year-old's body. They watched as she giggled like she always did while hugging her favorite person in the universe.

Vegeta was at a loss for words. He did not know what to do. He could not just throw the girl off of him. He did not want to hurt her. Then again, he had no idea _**HOW**_ he was supposed to handle her. Bra was in a teenager's body now. He did not know how to exactly... get her off of him. He looked up at his son. Trunks seemed to understand and touched Bra's shoulder.

"Bra, I think you've hurt Father," Trunks said softly.

Vegeta frowned at the boy's excuse. However, it seemed to work as Bra hastily retreated.

"I hurt you, Daddy? I didn't mean to! I'm really sorry!" Now she looked like she was on the verge of tears as she stood up.

Vegeta made his way to his feet. Somehow, Bra was still shorter than him. She still looked exactly like Bulma with the exception of her eyes. They were very reminiscent of his. Vegeta found himself feeling very faint at the thought that his daughter was an exact replica of her mother. This did not bode well for his heart or sanity. Then he glared at his son.

"What the _**HELL**_ did you do, boy?" He tried to keep his calm.

"_**ME**_?! I didn't do anything! When we came down here she was already like this!" Trunks yelled.

"Yeah. She was already out of the tank and everything," Goten piped up. He shuddered because Bra was now playing with his hair and giggling.

"Goten, did you shrink?" she asked.

Vegeta sighed and pulled Bra away from Goten. He glared menacingly at Goten for a moment before looking back at Trunks. "She just aged ten years in an hour? Is that what you're telling me, boy?"

"Maybe it had something to do with the magnetic storm, Father. We should ask Mom when she wa..."

"Daddy, I'm cold. Can I go get some clothes?" Bra interrupted. Vegeta released her hand and nodded. Bra skipped off back to the bathroom.

"What I was saying is that we should wait for Mom. She'll know what happened."

Bra walked back out of the bathroom holding some clothes and humming to herself. All three guys watched as she dropped the towel. They immediately turned away from her as she shamelessly got dressed.

_By the gods, what did I do to deserve this_? Vegeta thought as Bulma walked in.

"Vegeta, why are you three standing li..." Bulma looked behind them. She saw a blue-haired girl that was not her half-naked and humming a lullaby from Earth. "Vegeta, tell me that's not my daughter."

"That is the bratling, woman," Vegeta said flatly.

Bulma sighed and walked past the three males. She went over to Bra. Bra looked up and saw her mother. A big smile spread across her face.

"Mommy! Look-it! I have the big chest-pillows like you!" she said loudly.

Trunks and Goten snickered at Bra's term for "breasts." Vegeta used both of his elbows to quiet them. He had to admit that the child's/teenager's term for them was cute, though.

Bulma groaned, but still smiled at Bra. "I see that, Bra. They're very... nice. Let's get you dressed. Mommy wants to give you a little check-up. Is that okay?" she asked.

Bra nodded and put on a shirt. She next felt her mother dragging her out of the room by the arm. When she passed her father, brother, and his friend, she turned and waved. "Bye-bye!" she called over her shoulder.

Vegeta sighed. _This is not happening. This is a nightmare; the worst nightmare I have ever had and I will wake up from it any moment now with a splitting headache. My daughter cannot have just aged ten years_...

* * *

Brolly stared in hidden shock at the princess as she sat on an examination table in Bulma's lab. Some of Bulma's techs were taping little electrodes to Bra's head. She had stopped fidgeting sometime ago. Now she just looked bored and her tail was thrashing about in irritation. Brolly found this curious. He glanced over at the queen.

Bulma was setting up some sort of machine. When the techs cleared away from Bra, she stood up and looked at her daughter. "Okay, Bra. Hold still for mommy," she said softly.

"Why are you talking to me like I'm five?" Bra asked.

Bulma blinked as she looked at Bra. Then she looked back down at the machine in front of her. _Impossible_...

Vegeta walked in the lab. He saw his daughter. He noticed the way she was sitting and her tail. _She's annoyed_. He made his way over to Bulma. Bulma immediately noticed him.

"Vegeta, this is so interesting. While Bra's body aged in the tank, it looked like her mind stayed the same at first. But this shows that her mind is aging, albeit at a slower rate. Right now, I'd say she's about twelve," Bulma said.

"So eventually her mind will join the party as well?" Vegeta asked. Bulma nodded. "Great. Now I'll have two annoying teenagers to deal with. One will just be a female."

Bulma chuckled a little. "At least she's a pretty teenager," she said as she looked at her daughter. Once again, Bra had that bored expression on her face. "By tomorrow morning, her mind will have caught up with the rest of her body. I'll run another test on her to make sure the aging stops. After that, we might as well have fraternal twins."

Vegeta stared at his _**NEW**_ daughter. He got the impression that this was not a good thing. Bra had pretty much just skipped her entire childhood and gone straight to adulthood. In the Saiyan race, the women became eligible for marriage at 16. Although his daughter was only 6, her body said otherwise.

_My worst nightmare realized. My daughter has actually grown up_, Vegeta thought with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. _In one light this is a good thing. In another, this is a bad thing; a very, very bad thing_.

"Daddy?"

Vegeta opened his eyes and looked down. Bra was standing directly in front of him. She was definitely no longer 6-years-old.

"Daddy, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Not at all, brat. Why do you ask?" Vegeta replied.

"You just seem angry about something. That's all." Her aqua blue eyebrows furrowed. "It's not because my body has changed, is it?"

Vegeta must have looked either appalled or angry because his daughter suddenly turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. She ran right out of the room, leaving Bulma and Vegeta in her wake.

Bulma stared at the vacant doorway for a moment before glaring at her husband. "What did you say to her?" she asked. Vegeta started to answer her question, but she put a hand up. "You know, it was actually something you _**DIDN'T**_ say. Vegeta, at this moment Bra is mentally probably thirteen. They're really insecure."

"Will she grow out of her attachment to me?" Vegeta asked, approaching Bulma.

Bulma let out a loud cackle. "As if! Once a Daddy's Girl, _**ALWAYS**_ a Daddy's Girl. I just wonder if she'll still have that fighting spirit. I can't very well send my daughter off to war, can I?" Bulma muttered. "I hope she feels better in the morning. You should apologize when you see her."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Apologize? Woman, I don't apologize to you."

"Well you had better learn to apologize to Bra. Teenage girls are far different than teenage boys. They're... temperamental."

Vegeta growled. _Temperamental? The bratling was temperamental as a brat. How could she possibly be any different now_?

* * *

As expected, the next morning, Bra's door was locked. Bulma was called immediately to the princess' quarters on the ship in order to get her to open it. After much pleading, Bra relented and allowed only her mother in.

When Bulma entered the room, Bra was nowhere to be found. She had expected her daughter to be able to gain some sort of grasp on her enhanced abilities quickly, but not that quickly. She could not find Bra. However, she did find a lock of blue hair peeping out from beneath her bedroom door. Smirking, Bulma hesitantly approached it. She was not quite prepared for what she saw.

"Oh my..." Bulma whispered.

Bra ran a hand through her now extremely long hair. "It just kept growing. I woke up and I was covered in it. It was all over the place." She sounded as if she was going to cry as she stood up, the mass of hair moving with her. "There's just so much of it..."

"I know, sweetie. We'll just have to give you a hair..." Bulma stopped and Vegeta came through the door.

Vegeta looked around at all of Bra's newly acquired hair. He crossed his arms and looked up at his daughter and then at Bulma. "I hope you don't plan on cutting it," he said.

Bulma faced him completely. "Why the hell not? She can't walk around with all this hair. I'm curious as to how it got this long in the first place; especially overnight. My hair was never even this long. The back of my knees is as long as it ever got."

"If you cut it, it'll just grow back within a day. Why do you think the boy gets haircuts so frequently? A Saiyan's hair doesn't change. The bratling's hair was as long as her body, if not longer, when she was... smaller, and it is the same way now," Vegeta said.

Bra stepped forward. "So what am I supposed to do?"

Vegeta just stared at her. Bra narrowed her eyes and met his challenge.

* * *

At breakfast, Trunks and Goten were watching Vegeta eat. The king seemed almost nervous. The two younger Saiyans slowly lifted their forks as they plotted the closest escape route should the ticking time bomb that was Vegeta blow. It was when the door to the hall opened that they almost zoomed for the exit. Instead, they turned and watched Bra enter with Bulma.

There were few differences between the two. One was that Bulma was wearing a dress and a lab coat. Another was that Bra was dressed in a training suit and scowling. The third was that there was a gigantic ball of hair at the top of Bra's head. She seemed to notice that both Trunks and Goten were staring at it and shot them evil looks. They quickly averted their eyes as she took a seat next to her father.

"Is it me or does she remind you of someone?" Goten whispered to Trunks.

Trunks nodded. "Yeah. She reminds me far too much of Father right now. What's with all that hair? I don't remem..."

"I can _**HEAR**_ you, you know!" Bra said loudly. She continued glaring murderously at her brother and his friend as she waited for her food to be placed in front of her. Then she began eating like she had not eaten in years.

Vegeta looked over at his wife. "Well?"

"Her mind has stopped aging. That's what Bra would've been like had we waited ten years for her to become that age. She won't always be that hungry. From her hair's mysterious 'growth spurt' last night, she apparently exhausted herself," Bulma said as she cut into a piece of fruit.

Vegeta winced. "But why is she eating so much? She never ate this much."

"For the same reason you always want a turkey sandwich after maritals, Vegeta," Bulma answered. She glared at him as he glared right back at her. "She needs to replenish her strength."

Bra burped loudly as she finished downing her grape juice. She pushed her empty plates away. Then she burped several more times in succession.

"Manners, young lady," Bulma said.

"Excuse me." Bra stood up, surveying the table. She pointed at Goten. "Let's go. Daddy's training room. Now."

Goten sat there in shock as the princess stood and stalked over to the door. When she noticed she was alone she turned and glared at Goten. He looked back and forth between Trunks and Vegeta.

"Please don't make me do this," Goten said.

"Bra wants to spar, Goten. I suggest you not keep her waiting," Bulma said calmly.

Goten nodded slowly and stood up. _I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't_, he thought, thinking of the temper Bra had retained from being... smaller.

* * *

Trunks and Vegeta decided to sit in the control room of the training room in order to watch the little sparring match. Bra had not made an appearance yet. Goten was standing around, shuffling his feet. This caused Vegeta to frown. He turned on the microphone.

"Take this seriously, boy. But if you hurt the princess, I will string you up by..."

Trunks took the microphone from Vegeta. "Just don't break any bones, Goten," he said. He watched as Bra entered, wrapping tape around her knuckles. "You two kids have fun now."

Bra looked up and shot her brother a glare. "You're next, Trunks," she said.

Trunks' left eye twitched. He pushed the speaker on. "What was that, twerp?"

"You heard me." Bra turned away from him and looked at Goten. "Ready?" she asked.

"Uh, Bra? I'm not entirely comfortable with..." Goten barely got the words out before the smaller princess knocked him in the nose. He had to blink back the tears of utter surprise at how hard she hit him. He glared down at her. "_**OOWW**_..." he moaned.

Bra smirked. "That was just a love tap, you big baby. I'm not going easy on you." She easily punched him again, this time with her left. "Goten, fight back!" Goten threw a punch. Bra caught it deftly with her left hand, grabbed him by his hair, and pushed him into the wall. She stepped back away from him as he tried to regain his countenance.

Trunks sighed. "He's gonna piss her off if he doesn't fight her back. Then she's really going to kick his ass," he whispered. Vegeta nodded slowly in agreement.

Goten had no idea what to do. On one hand, he did not want to hit Bra. This was his best friend's little sister and the Sovereign Princess of Vegeta-Sei and Earth. One just did not haul off and sock her in the eye. On the other hand, she was kicking his butt and it was beginning to tick him off.

"You call yourself an Elite? I know techs who put up a better fight than this!" Bra kicked him in the gut. She stopped for a moment and watched him cough and wipe blood away from his lip. She frowned. "You're letting me win."

Goten immediately shook his head. "No, I'm not," he said quickly.

"Yes, you are. You don't think I'm strong enough to fight you evenly. You think I'm weak." Bra began advancing on him. "I'll show you I'm stro..."

Before she could hit him, she caught sight of lavender hair between them. Bra frowned and Goten breathed a sigh of relief. Trunks was standing between them, smiling at his sister.

"I tag in, Goten's tagging out," he said.

"That's not exactly how this works, big brother," Bra said.

Trunks leaned down to her face. "That's how it works because I say so."

"Is that so?" Bra asked, meeting his challenge.

Goten took this time to quietly sneak away. He vowed never to slight the princess again when she wanted to spar. He would fight her for real... next time. However, he would rather sit back and watch the two siblings who might as well be fraternal twins now duke it out.

* * *

Vegeta watched the minor stare-down his children were having. Trunks appeared not to want to give in to his sister. He knew she was only six when it came to actual years. However, mentally and physically Bra was now his age.

_Does this pose a problem_? Vegeta thought. He vaguely remembered Bra's desire to rule. _Yes, I believe it might_. He visibly flinched when he saw his daughter throw the first punch. But the real shocker was the response that Trunks gave.

* * *

It had been almost instantaneous. Trunks stood there for a good 30 seconds trying to figure out how he had completely forgotten that the person before him was his younger sister. After Bra had punched him, he punched her back. It was the natural response and pretty much a reflexive action. Trunks had almost no control over his right arm as it happened. Only after it happened did he realize what he had done.

Now, the aqua-haired "teenager" was on the floor, rubbing her face. A bit of her hair had come out of the tight knot at the top of her head. She managed to stand up, still rubbing her face.

"Bra? Bra, I'm really..." Trunks coughed and looked down. Bra had planted her knee in his stomach.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a trooper," she said. "Now fight."

* * *

Bulma walked in the control room of the training room. "Vegeta, have you seen Trunks? I want him to..." She paused when she saw her children beating one another senseless. "Vegeta! Why are you allowing them to do this?" she yelled.

"This is great! Bra's the only person other than me that I know who's been able to keep up with Trunks. Other than our superiors, I mean," Goten said, still watching the fight. Bulma thumped him on the back of the head. "Oh, sorry."

"Woman, it's a sparring match. It isn't like they're trying to kill one another. The boy knows not to let it get out of hand. He knows how far to go with the bratling," Vegeta said, still not looking away from the fight. Then there came a break. "Well, it appears that someone has the upper hand. You may enter if you wish."

* * *

"_**SAY IT**_!" Bra yelled as she pulled Trunks' arms back. She was stepping on his head at the same time, making the hold particularly painful. "_**SAY IT, TRUNKS**_!"

"_**NO**_!" Trunks yelled back at her. That only caused more pain to the prince. The princess was relentless as she twisted and pulled on his arms. But Trunks did not give in to her at all. "I'm not saying it, you little runt!"

"Saying what?" Bulma asked as she walked up to them. "Bra, release your brother. Trunks get off the floor."

Bra begrudgingly did as she was told, but not before dislocating Trunks' left arm on purpose. Trunks winced and stood up, but not before tripping Bra up, spraining her ankle in the process. They both sent one another evil glares before looking back at their mother.

Bulma looked between the two. _She's only been sixteen for a day and they're already acting like they've been twins all their life. Heaven help me_, she thought glumly.

"She was trying to get me to say that she won, which she _**DIDN'T**_," Trunks said as Bra hopped up on her feet.

"I did to! You're just too _**ARROGANT**_ to admit it, jerk. You're such a sore loser," Bra said. They both crossed their arms and looked away from one another.

Trunks looked back at Bulma. "What was it that you needed, Mom?" he asked.

Bulma shook her head. "I don't even remember, darling. I'm sure it wasn't even important." She smiled and turned to leave.

Once Bulma was gone, Bra and Trunks faced one another again.

"Rematch."

"Let's do it."

"Anytime, anyplace, shorty."

"You know where to find me, chump."


	10. Chapter 10: Spark Plug

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 10: Spark Plug**

**

* * *

**

The siblings fought every day until they arrived back at Vegeta-sei. When the gates to the ship opened, Bulma had never been so happy to see the red skies of Venova or the dusty ground that went along with it. She exited, walking at Vegeta's side. Bra was behind her, still dressed in Saiyan training clothing because she had nothing else to wear. Trunks was behind Vegeta. The two were picking at one another.

Growing weary of their banter, Bulma rounded on them. "I will chop off both of your tails so that they don't grow back if you don't stop this childish bickering. Act like the royalty you are," she said, her voice low and gaze deadly.

Trunks and Bra straightened up, suddenly very afraid of their mother. They watched her turn back around and follow after their father. Bra shot Trunks a nasty look and then walked off. Trunks watched as the shorter teenager left him in her dust. Goten came up beside him.

"I'm glad there's such a big age difference between me and Gohan," Goten said.

Trunks looked over at Goten. "What? I'm _**ELEVEN**_ years older than Bra. Just because she when through some sort of miracle grow process doesn't change that." Trunks noticed that his sister had drawn the attention of a few of the palace guards.

Goten had also picked up on it. "Well, it seems like she'll be welcomed back with open arms." He received a jab to his arms. "Ow! What was that for?"

"She's my sister. Protect her," Trunks said.

"You know I will." Goten smiled.

* * *

Bra stood on a pedestal, holding her arms out. Her tail switched from side to side in irritation. She was being measured for dresses and training suits, seeing how she did not have any that fit her. Bra stole a glance at her mother. Bulma was looking at different patterns and fabrics, paying her daughter no mind. Bra finally sighed loudly and dropped her arms.

"Why can't I just wear training suits all the time? Why do I have to wear dresses?" she asked.

Bulma did not look up at her daughter. "Because you are a princess. I will not have you traipsing around like a soldier all the time," she said firmly.

"But I _**AM**_ a soldier, Mommy!" Bra said loudly.

Bulma glared at Bra before looking up from the fabrics. "But you are a princess first, young lady. You have duties to fulfill as one, as well. Like I said before, you will not be traipsing around like a soldier all the time. Not if I have anything to say about it," she stood up, "and I do. I'm your mother and you will obey me."

Bra bit her lip. She knew better than to disrespect her mother. She raised her arms and let the servants continue measuring her for her new dresses. "I'll do this." She stuck her nose in the air. "Doesn't mean I have to like it, though," she mumbled under her breath. She knew it did not escape her mother's hearing because Bulma let out an audible sigh.

"I'll be glad when you grow out of the rebellious stage. Once your dresses are complete, you will be making a trip back to Earth to 'introduce' yourself. You will be dressed like a Princess of Earth. Got it?" Bulma asked.

"Yes, Mommy," Bra droned.

* * *

Vegeta sat in his throne. His head rested in his palm. He gave off the aura that he was bored. In reality, he was doing some hardcore pondering. Since Bra's "change," he'd been doing nothing but thinking about the future of the Empire. It was all he could do. Bra's "change" made everything exponentially more difficult.

_Neither one could rule with their mindsets right now. The boy is too soft and the bratling is... too young, I suppose. But the way she thinks is of the correct age. She's entirely too... headstrong. There's no middle ground with her_, he thought pensively. He had not realized that he closed his eyes.

Bulma approached her meditative husband. She stood in front of him for a few moments before reaching forward to tap him on the shoulder. Before she could blink, she was in Vegeta's lap. He was holding her wrist and looking straight ahead. Bulma shook her hand out of his firm grasp.

"If you don't tell me what's on your mind, Vegeta, I'll be forced to do very painful things to you until you do," she said.

Vegeta eyed his queen. "Woman, you're the weakest being in terms of brute strength on this planet. How could you possibly hope to do very painful things to me?" he asked.

Bulma snorted. "Weakest in brute strength, yes. However, in terms of sheer intelligence, I am the strongest on this planet. I may be physically weak, Vegeta. But still, I have a very in-depth knowledge of the Saiyan and human bodies. I could render you unconscious with the right amount of pressure applied to certain parts of your body." She crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I was just thinking about the brats. They've started a rivalry and Bra hasn't even been... big for a month and they're already fighting one another." He sighed. "I think you should take the bratling with you to Earth."

"Earth?" Bulma appeared confused as she looked back down at Vegeta. "But she'll definitely want to go on diplomatic missions with you. What could I possibly do with her on Earth?" she asked.

"I don't know, woman. Teach her to be... a lady. Right now, she is far too concerned with fighting. She needs some time away to learn to properly conduct herself."

Bulma shook her head. "Vegeta, you'll have to drag Bra kicking and screaming to take her back to Earth. Trunks would sooner go than Bra. He likes Earth better than Vegeta-sei anyway. Plus, he'd be useful to me in my labs."

"Are you trying to turn the boy into one of your scientists?"

"If you'd bother to pay any attention to your son, you'd realize that he is not the fighting type. He's far more intrigued with the factories and labs on Earth. Where do you think he spends his time when he stays there? He certainly doesn't train," Bulma said matter-of-factly.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Take the girl to Earth. Have her stay there and learn the way to conduct herself as a princess and not a soldier," he said.

Bulma smirked. "You're lucky I just had a new wardrobe commissioned for her." She hopped up out of his lap. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an invention to complete and a client to call."

* * *

"Trunks, what are we doing in here? You know Miss Bulma doesn't like us being in her lab without her in it," Goten whined.

"Grow a pair, Goten," Trunks said. At the moment, they were looking down at the blueprints for Bulma's newest invention. "I just want to see what that thing Mom was inventing actually does."

"Looks like really hardcore stuff, if you ask me." Goten crossed his arms and glanced around the spacious lab. Most of Bulma's techs were off working on the object that his best friend was so interested in.

"It's a teleporter of some sort. It's like you set the coordinates and whatever is sent through it travels to a totally different location. One of these has never been made." Trunks looked up and over at the instrument. "Mom's pretty..."

"Whatcha dooooin'?" Bra asked as she popped up out of virtually nowhere. The prince and his friend stiffened and turned to face her. Then they both relaxed as they took in Bra's appearance. She crossed her arms and frowned at them. "What the hell are you looking at?"

Trunks frowned at his sister. "Shut up. You shouldn't use such language," he reprimanded.

"You say stuff like that all the time," Bra countered.

"That's because I'm older than you."

"That doesn't mean anything anymore."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked.

Bra glanced down at her attire. She was wearing a pastel green dress with white ribbons. It was somewhat low-cut and her arms were bare. She glanced back up at her brother and his friend. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said.

"He means why are you dressed like a girl?" Goten said.

Bra placed her hands on her hips, scowling at both of them. "Because I can, that's why. If you two have a problem with it, then you can kiss my..."

"Bra, why are you in my lab?" Bulma asked as she walked up behind the trio. She stopped right beside her daughter and looked at Trunks and Goten. "Trunks, what are you doing with my blueprints?"

Trunks hastily rolled the blueprints up. "Nothing at all, Mom. I was just wondering about the particulars of that big machine over there. That's all." He turned and looked back at his mother and sister. Bra was looking at him with a smug look on her face. Bulma was simply staring at him. He looked between the two, noticing that Bra really was the spitting image of her mother.

"Right. Just don't break anything." Bulma turned and walked over to her techs. She began barking orders at them.

Trunks watched his mother walk off before looking back at his sister. Bra was looking at Bulma's other inventions. She reached out to touch something that resembled a watch. Trunks hurried over to her and took out of her grasp.

"Give it here, dumbass! I was looking at it first," Bra complained.

Trunks sighed. "Didn't Mom just say not to touch anything?" he asked.

Bra shook her head. "No. She said don't _**BREAK**_ anything. She never said anything about touching. So," Bra punched Trunks in the stomach, causing the object to fly from his hands, "give it back." Bra caught it and smiled in triumph.

Goten shook his head as the two began arguing over the small object. He turned and watched as Bulma's techs turned on the giant ring machine. "Wow. I can feel its power from here," he whispered as he watched it.

* * *

Bulma walked up close to the new invention. "Is the field stabilized?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, your majesty. The coordinates are also set."

Bulma nodded and picked up a rubber ball. She tossed it inside the ring. The ball disappeared completely, not coming out on the other side. Bulma smirked, counting down in her mind. She could hear footsteps just outside the lab. Soon, Vegeta barged in, holding the little red ball.

"What is the meaning of this, woman?" Vegeta asked. His wife said nothing and snatched the ball out of his hand. "Well?"

Bulma handed the ball to one of her techs. "Run a scan on it. See if any of its properties have changed." Then she looked at Vegeta. "When the ball appeared, what did it look like?"

Vegeta frowned. "It just came out of nowhere and hit me in the face. It pretty much just appeared. You set it up to do that didn't you?"

Bulma noticed Vegeta's eyes narrowing. "Stop looking at me like that. I had to test it. Who better to test it on than my husband? You're the most observant person I know." She smiled and walked up closer to him. "Now, could you tell me if anything was strange before you got smacked in the face with a ball?"

Vegeta appeared thoughtful for a moment as Bulma drew circles on his chest. "The temperature went up momentarily." He looked down at Bulma. "Stop that, woman!"

"Stop being grouchy, Vegeta." Bulma did not put her hands down. "How much of a temperature change? It must've been significant for you to feel it."

"Ten degrees. It wasn't burning or anything." Vegeta continued to watch her with interest.

"Uh huh..."

"Mommy, why are you feeling Daddy up?" Bra asked, swinging the wristwatch around her right index finger. She nearly laughed when her parents stepped away from one another. "Get a room, you two." She turned and started to walk towards the newest machine. Goten and Trunks were already over there.

Bulma pouted a bit. "I was not... feeling him up. Stupid girl." Bulma looked at Vegeta again. "You know, a thorough scan takes one hour at the least."

"One hour?" Vegeta asked, still looking at her suspiciously.

Bulma nodded, smiling. "A whole sixty minutes." Apparently Vegeta caught the hint. The next second he was picking her up and pulling her out the lab. Bulma managed to crane her neck back to the teenagers. "Don't break any..." She was gone before she could finish.

Trunks stared blankly at the door. Then he shuddered. "Gross," he mumbled. He noticed Bra fiddling with the wristwatch; or what looked like a wristwatch. She was standing directly in front of the big ring. "Why don't you put that down? You're gonna break it." He began walking over to her.

Goten's eyes sparkled. "Look, Trunks! There's a setting on here for Earth!"

Trunks nodded absentmindedly and stepped up to his sister. "In a minute, Goten."

"Oh! So it flips like this!" Bra flipped the switch on the watch just as Trunks stepped up to her. "Nothing happened, dickwad. The stupid thing is..."

A shockwave centering from Bra's hand threw the siblings back away from one another. Bra dropped the watch, flying into the side of the big ring. She turned her head and saw that her arm had disappeared into the ring. It was pulling her in. She glanced back over at Trunks.

Trunks stood up. He saw Bra trying to reach for him. He shook his dizziness off and started towards her. Then he noticed everything was beginning to shut off in the lab. From looking at the blueprints, he knew that anything that half-passed through the ring would be split at the passing point. From Bra's face, he could tell that her arm was being ripped from her body.

_She's going to lose her arm_, he thought as he flew towards her. He caught a glimpse of the coordinates on the ring. Instead of fighting the gravity, he pushed his sister inside just as it shut off.

"Trunks!"

* * *

Vegeta was thrown forward as the shockwave hit them. He turned his body and shielded Bulma from what would have probably killed her had she gone headfirst into the wall. He groaned and slid down the wall. Bulma's head was immediately up.

_I know what that was_, she thought as she stood. _The pulse_.

"Vegeta, get up. I think something's happened." All the lights went out. "Vegeta?"

"Come on, woman," Vegeta said as he grabbed her hand.

When they arrived back in the lab, everything was off. The techs were cleaning up fallen objects. They appeared worried. Trunks was staring blankly at the ring, which had shut off as well. Goten was also staring at it, pulling on his hair. They had not noticed the king and queen enter. Goten was the first to notice as Bulma approached them. She looked irate with the both of them. Vegeta sauntered behind her.

"What the hell happened? Didn't I say don't break anything?" she yelled at the both of them. Trunks did not seem to hear her. He just stared at the ring. "Trunks!"

_What did I do? What did I do? What if she doesn't come out on the other side? What did I do? What did I_...

Bulma slapped her son, ending his BSOD*. He turned his head and looked down at her. "Mom..."

"No. I'm a fairy. What the hell happened in here? Didn't I say not to touch anything?" Bulma yelled.

Trunks numbly shook his head. "You said not to break anything..." His voice was quiet and he kept glancing at the ring.

"That doesn't matter! You're smart enough to know what I meant!" Bulma slapped him again. She walked over to Goten and slapped him as well. "Where's Bra? She isn't immune to punishment, either."

It went past Bulma that everyone in the lab exchanged glances of what could be interpreted as fear. Vegeta, being an expert at observing such things, immediately noticed it. He had been enjoying seeing two soldiers be smacked around by a woman far weaker than both of them. Now, he was a bit concerned. He walked forward and looked around the ring.

"Where is she? Bra!" Bulma walked around, looking for her daughter. She saw a bit of Bra's dress on the floor. Her sandal was there. The wristwatch was not far from those. She gaped for a moment, walking up to the ring. She stuck her hand inside, seeing that it was off. "Bra?" she whispered.

Vegeta glared at the boys. "Where is she?"

Goten pointed to the ring. "She went in there," he mumbled. Then he turned away from it. "She's gone."

"My baby? She fell in there?" Bulma faced them. She looked like she was going to cry.

"What happened?" Vegeta asked, his face showing almost no emotion.

"She flipped the switch on that watch thing. We were thrown away from each other. She hit the ring. Her arm went in. Then everything started shutting off. I had to," Trunks took a deep breath, "push her. If I didn't she would've lost an arm. I had no time to really think."

"Boy, she could've lived with a lost arm. That's nothing. Where did you send her?" Vegeta asked tiredly. He noticed Bulma was still in shock. "Woman, she'll be fine. Won't she?"

"The setting is for Earth. She'll just come out there, won't she?" Trunks asked.

Bulma shuddered, putting her hands in her hair. She shook her head. "It was not set for Bra's mass. Not her species. Not her weight. Not her height. Nothing. Those are other settings besides location." Bulma closed her eyes.

"So what are you saying, woman?" Vegeta stepped towards her. "She won't come out on Earth?"

Bra shook her head. "She'll come out. The question you should be asking me is if she'll come out _**WHOLE**_. I've never tested it when the settings weren't set for the object it was being tested on. Plus, this thing isn't meant to transport living beings. Do any of you know how this works? Why I needed a molecular manipulator?" She watched them all shake their heads. "Tell them, Kamala."

Kamala stepped forward and nodded. "The molecular manipulator does just what its name denotes. It manipulates molecules. When transporting an object, the object is reduced to molecules. When it reaches its destination in the space-time continuum, it pieces itself back together and exits the void."

Goten stared blankly at the small Saiyan. "What?"

"She basically just said that whatever gets sent in there is shredded to pieces and put back together again right before it gets thrown out," Trunks said. Goten nodded in understanding. "Well, Bra won't come out... whole?"

"I don't know. It's never been tested when using the wrong settings or using a living being. Her coming out in one piece isn't the problem, though." Bulma sighed. "She's getting her body torn down to the molecular level."

Vegeta was seemingly the only one who caught on. "This is painful." He watched Bulma nod. "Well, she can put up with a lot of pain, woman," he said.

Bulma shook her head. "Getting punched in the face by someone twice your size has nothing on getting your body torn to shreds and staying in such a state while alive. I'd be surprised if she doesn't go insane from the pain."

Vegeta inhaled. "Where will she come out on Earth?"

Bulma shrugged. "My lab, supposedly. But anything is possible since the axis is thrown." She leaned against the table, still holding her head. "How could this happen?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Trunks said, looking like a wounded puppy.

Bulma sighed and looked at her son. She shook her head. "It's not your fault, Trunks. You didn't know," she said. "All we can do is hope and pray..."

* * *

Eighteen fanned herself as she turned the corner in the East Palace. _Why is it so damn hot in this place_? she thought angrily. She continued her march until she came to what looked like a severed arm. She stared at it for a moment before picking it up. The arm was warm, as if it'd just recently been cut off. _This is odd_.

"Eighteen, we need you to... Is that an _**ARM**_ you're holding?" Krillyn asked as he caught up with his wife.

"Yes. It looks like a woman's arm."

"Or a teenage girl's. It's pretty muscular to be a..."

A shrill scream alerted them to who was probably the owner of the arm. Eighteen started walking, carrying the arm with her. "Krillyn, alert the infirmary. I might be sending someone down there."

* * *

_It hurts so bad. I can't move. My body won't move. Am I... screaming_? Bra thought. She was screaming. It was almost against her will. She shut her mouth in an attempt to quell her cries of agony. Her vision was blurry, but she could tell she no longer had a left arm. She could see the blood on the cold floor that looked like the floor of her mother's lab. _Gotta get up. Gotta get_...

With all the strength she had, Bra got to her feet. Every time she took a step, it felt as though something was pricking her with needles. Her skin was so sensitive. What had once been a beautiful dress was soaked in her blood. She saw the door to wherever she was and reached lamely for it. Just as she was about to touch the handle, the door swung open. Bra stumbled forward and into someone else.

Eighteen practically threw the arm she was holding at Krillyn as a girl came falling through the door. She caught her, taking note of her long blue hair. She also noticed the trail of blood behind her.

"He-He-Help." The girl looked up at Eighteen before passing out.

Eighteen's eyes widened. _I know those eyes anywhere_, she thought. _Princess Bra_? She looked at Krillyn.

"Krillyn, this is the princess," she informed her partner.

Krillyn was looking at her skeptically. "I thought the princess was... six, I think. This girl looks like a clone of Bulma."

"The princess practically _**IS**_ a clone of Bulma. But we have to get her to the infirmary. Then I'm going to call Bulma. Come on," Eighteen said. She hefted Bra up in her arms and started walking quickly. Krillyn followed behind her, carrying Bra's severed arm.

* * *

"Well where is she?" Bulma asked irritably.

"We don't know, your highness. She hasn't answered any of the messages we've sent for her."

Bulma stared angrily into the video phone that was linked to Earth. "Try again. It is very, very important that I speak with Eigh..."

"I'm right here, Bulma." Eighteen suddenly appeared in front of Bulma. "I found the princess," she said dryly. She noticed Bulma let out a sigh of relief while putting her hand to her chest. "May I inquire as to how the princess came to be in the shape she's in?"

"Well, she seemingly aged ten years in ten seconds." Bulma watched Eighteen crinkle her nose in confusion. Bulma shook her head. "Long story. Just know that the princess is now the age of Trunks, mentally and physically. How is she now? Can I speak with her?"

"That's another thing, Bulma. How did Princess Bra end up on Earth, with her left arm severed?" Eighteen asked.

Bulma gasped as she put her hands over her mouth. "Her arm was severed? Other than that, is she all right?"

Eighteen nodded. "Yes, Bulma. She's fine. Her arm was in good shape. It should be able to be reattached. But how did she get here?"

"She fell into the transporter I was making just as the power shut off. The settings weren't for her, but it seems like she came out okay." Bulma stared off into space. "I suppose living beings can be transported."

"She was missing her arm, Bulma," Eighteen reminded Bulma.

Bulma nodded. "Yes, that's true. But she also is alive even though the settings were way off. The only reason her arm is severed is..." Bulma went into a long explanation of how the big ring worked and how Bra ended up sans an arm. "I suppose I'll tell the king now. Keep me updated and keep her on that planet."

"Yes, Bulma."

* * *

Bulma shut the video phone off. Then she walked out of the room, in search of Vegeta. She found him "disciplining" Trunks and Goten. Rolling her eyes, she headed for the control room of the gravity room. She turned the high gravity off. Vegeta turned and glowered at her. She simply waved before pushing the speaker.

"This had better be good, woman," Vegeta said.

"Oh it is. Bra made it to Earth. Eighteen found her _**ARM**_ before she actually found Bra. Right now, it should be getting reattached. Bra's to stay on Earth until I say otherwise. I'm sure Eighteen can handle her," Bulma said.

Vegeta crossed his arms. "So the bratling ended up whole except for her arm?"

"It would appear so. But, from what Trunks told me, her arm came off before she disappeared into the warp." Bulma ran a hand through her hair. "Let's just be grateful that our little spark plug is fine. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. On Earth she can learn to conduct herself properly. And we didn't even have to drag her kicking and screaming."

"And what exactly was the problem in how she was conducting herself here?" Vegeta asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You seem to have forgotten the conversation we had earlier. It was _**YOUR**_ idea to send her to Earth. She's a monster! Every second of the day she wants to beat someone's skull in!"

Vegeta snorted. "That's the Saiyan mentality, woman. All she needs to do is learn to control that urge and harness it into something constructive."

"Pfft! She can harness it into becoming a lady on Earth. That's plenty difficult." Bulma yawned. "I suppose I can call Garlic now and tell him his machine is ready. It's been far more trouble than it's worth. The sooner it's off this planet, the better."

* * *

**AN: "BSOD" means "Blue Screen of Death." You know that screen you see when your computer has royally fucked itself? It happens on computers with Microsoft Windows. Well, a BSOD is an equivalent to that, meaning that a person has experienced some traumatic event, they have mentally shut down for a moment, and thus must be "rebooted." Anysmoo, sorry for the late, late, late update.**


	11. Chapter 11: Back on Earth

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 11: Back on Earth**

* * *

Bra's eyes popped open. The first thing she noticed was that she was suspended in some sort a green substance. An oxygen mask was on her face. Bra noticed a sharp pinching on her left arm. She immediately remembered that she had been missing an arm and turned her head. She used her right arm to move her long hair out of the way. Her eyes widened slightly.

Tiny machines seemed to be "sewing" her back together. It was happening so fast that Bra did not have time to really register the little pinches as the little machines put her muscles, tendons, nerves, and skin back together.

She was so entranced with her arm that a knocking on the tank she was suspended in startled her. Bra turned her head towards the noise. She saw through her hair that Eighteen was standing there. The Head Delegate held up 10 fingers, indicating that Bra would only be in there for 10 more minutes. Bra nodded and closed her eyes.

Seventeen stepped up beside his sister. "How did she... grow so fast? It's only been two years, right?" he asked.

"Something of the sort. Bulma said she would explain why the princess appears to have caught up with the prince in age." Eighteen tapped her chin. "I do find this development quite interesting, though. Maybe even a bit... advantageous," she said.

"What do you mean?" Seventeen asked.

"Well, perhaps we could split the domains one day. I mean, the king and queen rule with a kind, but iron fist. While I don't know what the princess' attitude is like now, I know the prince is still a... soft one." She shook her head. "No, 'soft' is not the right word. He's not as stern as his father."

"You mean prone to more human characteristics than Saiyan?"

"Precisely. The princess as a child was very headstrong and most like her father. I wonder though if she'll still have that attitude." Eighteen turned away from the tank. "When the princess is done, send her to her chambers. Her caretakers will be waiting there for her arrival."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Bra did emerge from the tank. She was led to the showers where she rinsed the green goop from her body and hair. Then she put on a robe and was led down the halls of the East Palace. Soldiers noticed her and did double-takes. Even the servants seemed a bit shocked to see her.

_I don't think Mommy shared the news with everyone on Earth yet. I must look like some strange clone to them_, she thought as she entered her chambers. The place still was decorated as if she was a little girl. Various toys were sitting about. Her bedroom was in all white. Frowning, she walked past her caretakers.

"Princess Bra..." one of them began. She stopped when Bra turned her head sharply to look at her. The woman took note of how much more she resembled her father than her mother.

"What?" Bra asked tersely.

The woman swallowed. "Well, we do not really have clothes for you right now. But we can have some..."

"That isn't necessary. Have some Saiyan female armor and training gear sent here," Bra cut the woman off as she continued to examine her room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other two women exchange confused glances. Bra faced them again. "I don't believe I stuttered or spoke in the language of my father. Do as I command."

"Yes, your majesty," the women said. They hustled out of her room immediately leaving the princess alone.

Bra sighed and sat on her bed. She picked up one of her many stuffed animals. Despite her tough exterior, she still held a soft spot for her toys. _I wonder how long I'll be here alone_, she thought.

"So the rumors are true," a voice said from behind Bra.

The princess immediately stood and shot a blast towards the intruder. It was only powerful enough to be sent as a warning, but still more than the average human could handle. She mentally cursed but her worries were quickly diminished when she saw a gloved hand had blocked the blast.

"I know you can do better than that, your majesty," the voice said. The hand lowered and a blonde with pigtails stood there. She was obviously human from her coloring. She resembled Eighteen in a most peculiar way. "What's with that look, Princess Bra? Do you not recognize me?"

It took Bra a moment to process the face before her. It came to her quickly enough, though. "Marron. It's a surprise to see you here," she said. "And there are rumors about me?"

Marron, daughter of Eighteen and Krillyn, shrugged as she walked forward. "You may not have known this when you were... younger, but word travels rather fast here on Earth. We humans are prone to mindless gossip. However, this one I heard sounded most interesting and I had to come see for myself. And why would it be a surprise to see me here?"

"If I remember correctly, you hung out with the older kids," Bra said.

Marron shrugged again as she stepped up beside the princess. She was only an inch or so taller than Bra. There was also an air of superiority about her, even though Bra was in every way superior to her. The blonde human began looking Bra over as if she were a mare on display. Then she sat down next to Bra.

"It's probably a good thing that you have grown so much in such a short period of time. I've always wanted a friend my age. Your brother is rarely on the planet now that he's gone off to train. I hate to admit it, but I actually miss him and Goten."

"A... friend?" Bra whispered. The concept was still strange to her. As a princess of such a prestigious family, she was kept away from children her age until she entered training on Vegeta-sei. From her memories, she could ascertain that she was indeed not the most popular of the kids regardless of her status. In fact, she had been more an outcast than anything. "Why would you want to be my friend?"

Marron had to blink a few times. Then she smiled. "Because you'll need one. I overheard my mother and the queen is on her way here. She'll most likely want to turn you into a lady of the court. In layman's terms, that means she wants to turn you into a girly-girl. I'm sure you don't want that to happen. You have about five days until she gets here. So, until that day comes, I will show you the ropes. You'll definitely want something to do in your spare time. Now, get dressed. We're..."

"Ah, Marron." Eighteen entered the room. Both girls stood immediately. Eighteen crossed her arms. "It's good to see that you have met the princess as she is now. You don't mind escorting her around the city, do you? As a little one, she has never been beyond the gardens."

Marron nodded. "Of course, Mother. I was just suggesting such an idea to her majesty."

Eighteen nodded and began to turn away. She paused for a moment. "It would be best for you to wear a cloak to disguise yourself, princess. You don't want to draw too much attention to yourself." With that, she was gone.

* * *

Vegeta stared up at the machine his wife had built. The thing had turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. He could not wait to have it shipped off his planet and never seen again. His eyebrow furrowed as he thought of what the little alien could possibly want with such a high-tech piece of equipment, though.

_Using it for economical purposes is a lie. I should've called him on it. This will be used for something more sinister. The woman doesn't have the same instinct Saiyans have and that is a problem with her making judgment calls. We'll see how this pans out_, he thought.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Vegeta turned to see his son standing behind him. "I wasn't thinking hard about anything. Weren't you supposed to go with your mother?" he asked.

Trunks shrugged. "I wanted to stay back. I can go to Earth later." He scratched the back of his head, looking away from his father.

Vegeta could tell Trunks had something to say. He folded his arms and let out a low sigh. Trunks looked up at him and straightened up. He realized that Vegeta could sense his minor distress.

"Are you going to speak, boy?" Vegeta asked. "I don't want to be forced to beat it out of you."

Trunks took a deep breath. "It's about what I have to do in order to become king," he said quietly.

"What about it?" Vegeta seemed unconcerned about what Trunks had to say.

"Do I... have to?" Trunks noticed the look his father gave him. "What I mean to ask is if it's entirely necessary."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes a bit. "You apparently seem to still want to become king. Otherwise you wouldn't be inquiring if you must go through with such a task. The last time we spoke of this you all but gave up your birthright."

"Of course I want to become king one day. I just don't wanna have to kill you in order to do so. You're my father."

"As I stated before, it is a rite of passage. If you or sister does not exceed me in power, then neither..."

"Wait a minute." Trunks tried to ignore the sharp look his father gave him for the interruption. He ignored it for the moment. "You'd let Bra succeed you?"

Vegeta stared blandly at Trunks for a moment. Then he shrugged. "If she completes the task before you do, there will be no choice. Although you have the birthright, she is also of royal blood. She has just as much right to the throne as you do. After you, she is next in line," he stated, turning his head away from his son.

Trunks took in what his father was saying. He let out a somewhat nervous laugh. "Father, I highly doubt Bra would want that task."

Vegeta turned to look at Trunks again. "Are you so sure of that?" he asked.

The prince stiffened at what his father was implying. When he really thought about it, Bra had more of a soldier mentality than he did. He laughed nervously again. "Well, yeah. She practically worships the ground you walk on. She would have no part of ending your life even if she was given the order to."

The words did not even sound true coming out of his mouth. Vegeta could tell his son did believe that if given the order, Bra would follow through with it. Though very young in years, the princess already had the instinct of a Saiyan warrior; a Saiyan monarch. Whether it was morally right or wrong, she would do it if it was something she had to do.

"Bra already has the desire to rule. Make of that information what you will." Vegeta walked past his son, leaving him alone in the room with the large invention.

* * *

Bra walked beside Marron as they trudged through the streets of East City for the third time. She wore a black cloak to shield her hair and blend in with the others. Marron did not wear a cloak. She would occasionally stop and say hello to some random resident of the city. She would introduce Bra as "Bree" to her friends. To them, Bra was just a friend visiting from a distant village that had never been inside a large city.

As far as Bra was concerned, that was true. She had been inside cities but had only seen them through the eyes of a naïve child. Marron's friends fascinated her. Even the different smells of the city intrigued her. They stopped for a moment as Marron chatted with someone.

"Whew! Princess, I'm parched. Would you like something to drink? I know this quaint little... Princess?"

Bra had noticed a stone building that stood out from the rest. Unlike the rest of the city, the ceiling was made of reinforced steel. It was the kind of steel that her mother used for gravity rooms. Bra could also feel relatively powerful energy levels coming from it. She saw a few people going in and out, looking around as they did so.

Marron had seemed to figure out what had caught Bra's attention. She smirked. "That's a very special place. I'll tell you all about it over a nice drink." Bra looked back towards her. "Now come to this cute little shop with me." Marron pulled Bra along.

After they ordered a few slushy drinks that Bra had never tried, Marron led them to a plaza and they sat down on a fountain. Bra stared into the cup of blue crushed ice. She had no idea what to do with the plastic tube that was in it. She had never used such a thing in the palace before or even in boot camp. Marron laughed when she saw Bra's obvious confusion.

"It's a straw. You sip through it like this." She demonstrated how to do so. Bra followed suit. "There. Now..."

"It's sweet!" Bra exclaimed, clearly startled by the taste of it.

"It's supposed to be, silly. Now, you want to know about that big building, I suppose." Marron watched Bra nod quickly as she continued to sip the slushy drink. "Well, it's called the Ring. On the surface, it's a respectable jewelry store. But, it's also a place where a fight club of sorts convenes."

"Fight club?"

"Yep. They hold all types of fights in there. Sort of like gladiators, but without the blood and guts." Marron appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that's not entirely true. Some of the fights tend to get a little out of hand, especially the ones involving Saiyans. People come from all over the world to compete there."

Bra nodded, her interest growing. "But why the secrecy?"

"Well, it's not entirely legal to have such a place. Plus a lot of illegal activity also goes on there; betting, prostitution, human trafficking..." Marron looked up at Bra. "I trust you to keep a secret, your majesty."

"Of course. The place sounds like fun. Can we go?"

Marron chuckled. Bra seemed unfazed by the decrepit nature of the place. The dregs of both Earth and Vegeta-sei passed through that place. It was not generally safe for women of either race to go inside. Few came out unscathed, if they came out at all.

"Princess, the Ring is no place for you." From the look Bra gave Marron, she could tell that the princess was not often refused anything. She sighed. "I just don't think it wise that we..."

"Well then how do you know what goes on in there?" Bra inquired.

"I have my ways." Marron removed the silk gloves she wore. Her fingers were taped. There were blisters on her fingertips and palms. Her knuckles were mildly swollen and bruised. It was then that Bra noticed that Marron obviously wore makeup, particularly under her eyes.

"You fight there too."

"Yes."

"It wasn't a question." Bra sat her empty cup down on the fountain. "You can fight?"

Marron nodded and shrugged. "I need something to do in my spare time." She sighed. "I suppose I could take you there once. But only once, princess. I don't want anything happening to you. And you can't fight."

Bra pouted. "But that's why I wanna go! Please, Marron!"

"No! We're going once and you're only going to watch. I know you can probably kill all the humans there. However, the Saiyans are a different story. Some of them are Elites. I'm not dragging you back home half dead. That's the only condition I have."

Bra looked away from Marron, pondering the offer. Then she nodded. "Fine. I won't fight. When do we go?"

They both looked up as they heard and saw what could only be a ship entering the atmosphere. Bra squinted and saw what she knew to be her mother's ship soaring through the clouds. Frowning slightly, she looked down at Marron who simply shrugged.

"I suppose it'll be far more difficult getting out now," Marron said.

Bra nodded. "Yeah, especially now that Brolly's probably here. It's ridiculously hard to get past him."

Marron simply smirked. "This Brolly has never encountered me, though. Let's go. I'm sure the queen wants to see you immediately."

* * *

As the duo was walking back to the palace, Bra got a funny feeling. It was not quite a "funny" feeling to be exact. It was more a feeling that she had felt before. She looked around, trying to see who or what it was. All she saw were the city's people milling about like usual. There was nothing that could possibly be giving off what she was feeling. Bra looked at Marron, who had not seemed to notice it at all. Bra looked back out around her.

_I know this energy. I just can't remember where I know it from. I can't remember_, Bra thought as she kept walking. She shrugged it off and turned her attention back in front of her.

Bulma was already waiting in Bra's quarters when the princess returned. There were servants lugging in several trunks. Bulma stood in the living area, directing traffic. She had not noticed Bra and Marron entering.

"Hey, Mommy," Bra said as she took off the dark cloak.

Bulma had not recognized her daughter when she first entered. Now that she was there, Bulma rushed over to her and began looking over her. Bra just stood as her mother felt around her body, focusing on her left side. Bra just stood there, letting her mother feel her up. Bulma finally stopped and looked at Bra's face. The teenager smiled innocently at her.

"You seem to be in good spirits. Do you even remember what happened?" Bulma asked.

Bra shrugged. "I just remember... darkness. Then I woke up without my left arm in your lab. It was quite a surreal experience. Being without one arm throws off your whole equilibrium," she said.

Bulma had walked away from her and was opening one of the trunks that the servants brought into the room. "Yes, dear. That's why we have two. Now," Bulma pulled out a dark blue dress, "time to get dressed. You have to be presented at court tonight."

Bra's expression fell as she looked at the dress. "Really, Mommy? But it's... a dress," she whined. Marron giggled a bit.

"I'm very well aware of that fact. Now get ready for a bath," Bulma said, ignoring her daughter's whining.

"Mommy, do I have to wear a dress? Why can't I dress like Daddy?" Bra continued to whine. She stopped when she saw the look Bulma gave her. Her mother pointed to the bathroom door. Sighing, Bra stood. "Fine. I'll wear it. But don't expect me to smile."

Bulma sighed as Bra closed the door to the bathroom. She turned and looked at Marron. "Don't you think you should get dressed for court, too?" she asked.

"Of course, your majesty," Marron curtsied and hurried out of the room.

Bulma gave a few orders to Bra's retainers and left the room. She went to find Eighteen. She found the Head Delegate in the conference room on her high dais. She knocked on the bottom of the dais, shaking Eighteen from her thoughts.

"Your majesty..."

"Eighteen, you never call me that when we're alone. What's wrong?" Bulma asked.

Eighteen cleared her throat. "Nothing, Bulma. I'm just really eager to hear the explanation for the princess' sudden growth spurt and how she ended up in your lab _**HERE**_ san an arm."

"It's a long story. Let's just say Bra set several records in terms of growth and travel. It was like several science experiments gone terribly wrong. But if you want what triggered this whole thing, blame Cooler," Bulma said, relaxing in the seat below Eighteen.

"Cooler? The changeling who has a creepy infatuation with you?"

Bulma smirked. "Yes, that Cooler. He was the catalyst in all of this." She paused for a moment. "Actually, if I wanted to really get technical with it, that little alien Garlic is who started all of this. If it weren't for him, I would've never had to... Wait, _**VEGETA**_ started all of this by wanting to put Bra in training."

"I think you're over-analyzing it, Bulma. It doesn't matter who started it. The fact is the princess is now of age. What's going to happen after her introduction to court tonight?" Eighteen asked.

Bulma sighed. "Who knows? We'll just have to go along for the ride. I'm going to try and turn Bra into a lady, but she's far more like her father."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes, thinking. Then she cleared her throat. "Why not let the king handle this, then?" She paused when she saw Bulma look up at her. "Well, it's more practical to let her do something she likes rather than forcing her to become... submissive."

"Oh, I don't think anything would ever make Bra 'submissive.' If anything, me forcing her to do anything would only make her fiercer. I suppose if she opposes this to phenomenal levels I'll let Vegeta take over. Now I must go get dressed myself. I'll see you tonight, Eighteen."

Eighteen nodded as she watched Bulma leave. Once the queen was gone, Eighteen realized that Bulma never did tell her how Bra ended up the way she was. Smirking a bit, she went back to working.

* * *

Bra straightened her dress on her as she looked in the floor mirror. There was definitely a lot of the dress, but she had been exaggerating. The empire waist design of it had made it seem like the dress was endless. The white sash she had tied right under her bosom was slightly uncomfortable, but she shifted in it to see if she could loosen it. Once that was done, she looked at her hair.

Because she had so much hair to deal with, it had been difficult to get in into a somewhat elegant hairstyle. She stared at the ball of braids pinned to her head. Then she looked at the tiara that was digging into her scalp. She raised a hand to shift it, but was promptly smacked by Marron.

"Don't touch that. You'll mess up your hair. Are you wearing your shoes?" Marron asked.

Bra nodded as she looked at what Marron was wearing. The blonde was wearing a pink dress that left very little to the imagination. Bra looked down at herself and crossed her arms. Marron noticed her movements.

"What's wrong? You look pretty. Don't cover those up," Marron said as she pulled Bra's arms down to her sides. Bra stuck her hands to her sides as Marron made sure everything was perfect on her. "Ok. Now are you ready to go down to court?" she asked.

"Sure." Bra shrugged. She stepped past Marron only to trip on her dress. Marron caught her arm before she could go down completely. Bra pulled herself up and cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"Just follow me, princess," Marron said.

As they walked through the palace, several servants would stop and bow to them. Bra, not really knowing how to react to them, just nodded and tried to keep up with Marron.

"So, uh, what happens at court?" Bra asked quietly as they kept walking.

"This is your first court, isn't it? Well, they'll announce you and you'll go in. Then everyone will bow to you, some guys might try to kiss your hand, and some might even ask to dance. Just act natural. The people at court can smell fear," Marron said.

"Humans can smell fear?"

Marron giggled and shook her head. "No. It's just a saying," she said as they came to the ballroom. She stopped walking and turned to look at Bra. "So they'll introduce you. You have to go in alone. Don't worry, I'll be in there. Once you've made your way around the room, I'll find you."

Bra nodded as Marron turned and left. She shifted from side to side. She had no idea why she was nervous. She had never been nervous for anything before. She could feel her heart start to quicken and she noticed that her hands were sweaty. She then noticed that she sweating.

_Why is it so hot_? she thought. She backed away from the door slowly and looked to her right at an open window. She felt something strange coming from the city. She stood there with her eyes narrowed.

* * *

Bulma sat at the front of the room behind a table. She watched Marron approach her. The girl definitely knew how to fill out a dress. Bulma idly wondered if Eighteen approved of her daughter dressing in such a way. Bulma put a smile on as Marron came and curtsied in front of her, somehow avoiding a wardrobe malfunction.

"Good evening, Queen Bulma," the blonde said.

"Good evening, Marron. I trust you have prepared Bra well?"

"Of course. She is waiting right outside."

Bulma nodded. "Very well." She glanced over to Seventeen and nodded.

"Now presenting, Her Sovereign Highness, Crown Princess Bra of Vegeta-sei and Earth!" Seventeen said loudly.

Everyone turned to look at the door from which bra would be entering. Nothing happened. Marron frowned and looked back at Bulma, who had her arms folded and was tapping her index finger on her arm. The queen looked at Marron pointedly. Shrugging, Marron started to go outside.

Bulma sighed and ran a hand through her hair. _This is one of the few times where she actually reminds me of me. "Court" isn't my scene either_, she thought. Her somewhat placid look disappeared when Marron ran back into the room.

"She's gone!"

Eighteen rose up from her seat and looked at Brolly. "Find her."

* * *

Bra landed just inside the city. The streets were nearly deserted and the sun had already set. No one seemed to notice the princess walking in her luxurious gown down the dusty gravel of the street. The orange streetlamps were her only light, but her guide was the blazing energy she had felt from earlier.

_I know this energy. But whose is it_? she thought. Bra walked into a clearing where a fountain had been shut off for the night. She saw a hooded figure sitting on the edge of the fountain where she had sat earlier that day. The person turned their head to look at her.

Bra was a good 20 feet away from them, but she could see their eyes through the dark and shadow of their hood. She squinted as she stared into the red orbs before her. Then, like the switch on her mother's electromagnetic pulse, it clicked.

"Buu..."


	12. Chapter 12: The Ring

**Empire: Family Affair**

**Chapter 12: The Ring**

* * *

Bra approached Buu with a smile on her face. The little pink alien seemed to be sizing her up. It was as if he was trying to recognize her.

_Well, __the __last __time __we __saw __each __other __I __was __much __smaller. __He __probably __doesn__'__t __even __know __who __I __am_, she mused. She noticed that even though she'd grown, Buu still managed to be about her height.

"Bra..." the high-pitched voice of Buu managed.

Bra smiled and nodded, clapping her hands together. "Yes! It's me! What are you doing here? How did you get all the way to Earth?" Buu simply pointed to the sky, indicating that he had come on his own. Bra raised an eyebrow. "You can breathe in space?"

Buu nodded. He reached in his cloak and pulled out something. He held out his hand to Bra. They appeared to be jawbreakers. He urged Bra to take one. Just as she did so, Brolly landed between them.

"Brolly! Where did you come from?" Bra asked loudly. His sudden appearance frightened her. She had not sensed him coming at all. She noticed Buu staring at Brolly menacingly. "Buu, don't attack! Brolly is my friend."

Brolly ignored the princess for a moment. He looked down at the much smaller alien. Buu appeared to have grown a bit. He was scowling at Brolly, clearly not happy that the large Saiyan had interrupted them.

_What __is __this __thing? __Why __is __it __here_? he asked himself. Then he turned to the princess, who was looking at the jawbreaker that Buu had given her.

"Princess, your mother is very disappointed that you..."

Bra slapped her forehead. "Damn! I forgot! I just got sidetracked because I felt Buu's energy and I..."

"We should get back now, princess."

"Ok, Brolly. Can Buu come with us?"

Brolly looked at Buu, who seemed to be eating a jawbreaker of his own. "I don't think that's a good idea, princess."

"But Brolly! He's nice!" Bra batted her eyelashes at him. Brolly was not yet immune to Bra's charms as he was with the queen. "Please?" she whined.

"Fine." Brolly scooped Bra up and faced Buu. "Follow me." With that, he took to the air. Buu watched them for a moment before following after the duo.

* * *

Bulma stood with her arms crossed. She did not appear angry but on the inside she was seething. She figured her daughter would object, but she never imagined that Bra would just take off altogether. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

_Being __angry __with __her __when __she __returns __isn__'__t __going __to __solve __the __problem. __Maybe __she __had __good __reason __to __just __take __off __out __the __window __like __a __heathen_, she thought. She could hear her subjects start whispering behind her. She turned to see them parting to reveal the princess. Brolly stood behind her.

Bra could feel her mother's eyes burning into her. She slowly began to walk forward. She knew she was in trouble. She knew she was the center of attention. When she got to her mother, she kneeled to her.

Bulma stared down at her daughter and rolled her eyes. "Rise, Bra," she said. The princess stood and looked up at her mother. Bulma held her hand out. Bra took it and walked up the steps to stand next to her mother. "Salute your subjects," Bulma whispered.

"How?" Bra whispered back.

"Just incline your head slightly."

Bra did as she was told and everyone went back to what they had been doing before Bra had come in. Bra faced her mother to see a very stern look on her face. She lowered her own head again and began fiddling with her fingers. Bulma took her hands in her own.

"You will tell me what was so important that you left the premises before you satisfied your duties," the queen said.

Bra nodded. She pulled her mother down the steps. Bulma followed her daughter outside. When they got outside the court, Bulma was introduced to a hooded figure standing next to Brolly. She glanced at Brolly, seeing that he looked wary of the person next to him. Then she looked at the other person. All she saw was mischievous yet empty red eyes. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"Mommy, this is Buu. We met back on Grexia. Buu, this is my mother. Her name is Bulma." Bra smiled broadly as she stood between the two.

Buu took off his hood. He seemed to be frowning at Bulma. "Bul... ma," he said slowly. "Queen?" he asked.

"Um, yes. I am the queen."

Buu's eyes narrowed. "Kill."

* * *

Vegeta blinked as he watched Garlic inspect his wife's invention. His mind had been roaming before he got the tingly feeling he always got whenever Bulma was in trouble. His eyes focused on Garlic as the alien approached him.

"Everything seems to be in order. Surely the queen left some sort of instructions as to how this machine works," he said.

Vegeta shoved a small cylinder at him. "Inside you will find instructions and troubleshooting answers. If you have no other questions, my men will load this contraption onto you your ship and you will pay the fee to my councilman," Vegeta said curtly.

Garlic nodded, not caring too much for Vegeta's tone. He knew not to take it personal though; Vegeta sounded that way with everyone who was not his wife or daughter. "I will be contacting the queen again. If this machine is a success, perhaps we arrange for it to be made as an intergalactic highway..." He trailed off as he walked away.

Vegeta watched Garlic leave the room. He could sense his son's presence just behind him. He turned and looked at the boy. "You have no missions you should be on?"

"Not really," Trunks said with a shrug. He held out an envelope. "This was just sent over a transmission. It's from the Universal Alliance. They want to hold an event here."

"An event?" Vegeta took the envelope from his son. He tore it open and read the message inside. "A tournament of some sort, I see. Why on Vegeta-sei? I'm not too keen on having a bunch of alien tourists roaming about." Vegeta peered out a window. The moon of Vegeta-sei was nearing the waxing gibbous stage. In a few months it would be full and remain as such for several weeks.

Trunks followed what his father was looking at. He winced. Trunks had experienced only one full moon on Vegeta-sei. Depending on who you were, it could either be a pleasant event or a horrendous experience that would leave you scarred for life. On Earth, full moons were once every month. They were much easier to avoid, though.

"Are we lucky Bra won't be here for the full moon?" Trunks asked.

Vegeta snorted. "The bratling was born during the year of the full moon, boy. She'll still feel its effects even if she's on Earth." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps I should call her back here for it. She has never consciously experienced a full moon."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Is that wise, Father? Things get... hectic here. Bra might not be able to stand that."

"I'm not worried for your sister, boy. I'm more concerned for those she comes in contact with during the full moon. You should know from experience that it isn't exactly... pleasant." Vegeta looked back at his son.

"Which exactly why I'm going to Earth. At least the moon there isn't as strong." Trunks shifted in his stance. "What about that event?"

Vegeta handed the envelope back to Trunks. "Give it to the council. I'm putting you and your other three friends in charge of overseeing it. Let's see what you've got, boy."

"But what if I wanna participate?"

"I never said you couldn't." Vegeta began to walk away. "Just don't rig it," he called over his shoulder.

* * *

Bulma could not process what had just happened. One minute she had been in the middle of an introduction to Bra's alien friend. The next moment, she was staring at a big ball of pink energy. After that, Brolly had attacked her would-be assailant. Now she was standing there, staring at the gaping hole in the wall where Brolly had dragged the alien out with. In the darkness, she could see the two fighting.

It all happened so fast that she could barely process it. She looked at her daughter. Bra was watching the fight as well. Her blue eyes shifted from side to side, following the action Bulma could not see.

"Bra, what just happened?" Bulma asked quietly. A crowd had started to gather around them. Marron had come up beside her friend.

Bra was mystified beyond belief as well. She could not understand why Buu had tried to attack her mother. As she watched Brolly fight Buu off, she could tell that Buu was definitely the stronger of the two. She squeezed her fists together.

Bulma noticed her daughter's tense stance. "Bra..." Before Bulma could get the words out of her mouth, Bra had jumped through the hole in the wall and out to the gardens. "Bra!" Bulma ran forward, only to be held back by Marron.

"Your majesty, it's too dangerous!" Marron said as she easily held Bulma back. The queen continued to fight. She could not see her daughter any longer.

* * *

Brolly was dealt a kick on par with a kick his king could get in his strongest form. The burly Saiyan went flying through several trees. He stopped when he hit a brick wall. He quickly got to his feet. He looked up and saw the red-eyed, pink killing machine flying towards him. He crossed his arms in front of him, preparing to take the blow.

It never came.

Instead of a blow to his face, Brolly felt only the shockwave coming from the punch. It had obviously hit something. Brolly opened his eyes and saw that the princess was standing in front of him. She had blocked it.

Bra held Buu's fist in her hand. She was sure her shoulder was dislocated from the force of the punch. She watched Buu notice her. His face visibly softened and he lowered his arm from Bra's grasp. Bra released the breath she had been holding and her arm fell limply to her side. She let out a long sigh from the pain.

"Bra?" Buu questioned.

"I thought I said Brolly was a friend, Buu. Why are you fighting him? And why do you wanna kill Mommy?" Bra asked.

Buu appeared confused for a moment. Then he noticed Bra's arm. "Bra hurt?" he asked.

Bra looked at her shoulder. It was not a serious injury but she could see that Buu looked genuinely concerned about her. She took a deep breath and popped her shoulder back into place. Then she placed her hands on her hips.

"Why are you trying to hurt Mommy?" she asked again.

"Mommy?" Buu asked.

"Queen Bulma."

Buu's eyes narrowed again. "Buu was told to."

Brolly raised an eyebrow. He stepped up beside the princess. The other two looked down at him. "By who? Who told you to attack the queen?"

Buu shrugged. "Buu don't know master's name. Buu just do as he's told. Buu destroy and Buu might get sweets," he said.

Bra crossed her arms. "Well, your master is wrong. Queen Bulma is not to be harmed," she said resolutely.

"Buu don't harm Queen Bulma?" Buu looked back at Brolly. "Then what Buu do?"

Bra and Brolly exchanged bewildered glances. Clearly Buu's mental capacity was not past that of a child. He seemed to react to kindness although he was clearly supposed to be evil. Bra looked back at the little alien, who had found some of the vegetation interesting.

"Buu, how about you protect Queen Bulma?" Bra said while pulling up to look at her.

"Buu protect queen?" he asked. Bra nodded with a smile on her face. Buu seemed to think for a moment. "Buu get sweets? Master doesn't let Buu have sweets. Buu has to find sweets on his own."

_So __he __knows __how __to __bargain_? Brolly thought.

"As many sweets as Buu wants. But you can't eat sweets all the time," Bra said with a grin. Buu nodded happily. Bra took his hand and they flew back up where Bulma was waiting with Marron.

To say Bulma was shocked when Bra returned with Buu was an understatement. She immediately backpedaled several feet. Bra waved her mother down.

"Bra, why is it back here? It just tried to kill me." Bulma was still quite apprehensive of the little alien. Buu was currently looking around at the other humans of the court. They seemed even more afraid of him.

"It was... just a misunderstanding. Buu's gonna be a bodyguard for you," Bra said happily. Bulma's deadpan expression said it all. The princess sighed. "He said his master sent him to kill you. He doesn't know his master's name, though. So I said that instead of killing you that he should protect you. He said he would as long as he gets sweets."

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Sweets?" Bra nodded and Bulma looked at Buu. The queen retreated back into the court. She came back, holding a strawberry tart. She held it out to Buu. "You'll protect me for sweets?" she asked.

Buu's eyes widened at the sight of the tart. "Buu protect queen for sweets!" He reached for it but Bulma held just out of his reach. He looked at her with a questioning look. "No sweets?"

"Only if you swear to protect me and my family," she said.

Buu looked at Bra and then back to Bulma. He nodded quickly. "Buu protect Bra and queen. Sweets now?" He held out his hand. Bulma gave him the tart. The pink alien gobbled it up quickly.

Bulma was astounded at how something with enough power to take on Brolly had such a huge weakness for sweets. She watched as Buu interacted with her daughter. The scene between the two reminded her that although her daughter had the body and mind of someone more than twice her age, she still was very young.

_Amazing __that __something __with __such __destructive __potential __has __such __a __weakness __for __sweets __and __my __daughter __apparently_, she thought. Buu did seem enamored with Bra and only Bra. After all, she was the only being that he had not looked at maliciously or tried to attack.

"Is this wise, my queen?" Brolly asked, getting closer to the queen.

Bulma shrugged as she watched Bra drag her friend off towards the kitchens. Marron walked behind them at her own pace. "I have no idea, Brolly. Call Vegeta. I need him here ASAP."

* * *

Trunks pulled a panel out in his father's training room. He was at the palace in Aenire. Goten walked up behind him as the prince peered into the wall. The two could see a large piece of machinery inside the tight space.

"So that's what makes the scenery of the room change?" Goten watched as the prince began unhooking it. "It's kinda small to make such a big difference."

"Big things come in small packages, Goten." Trunks yanked the machine out of the wall. "It'll be very useful in the arena for the tournament."

"You sure Miss Bulma won't mind us using it?"

Trunks shrugged. "Well, I doubt she even remembers she installed it here so many years ago. Father rarely uses it when he's training here. So, I doubt he'd mind us borrowing it for the tournament."

The prince had big ideas about the upcoming tournament. He knew it would draw a lot of people to the planet. But, he also knew that battles between the strongest warriors in the universe could get quite out of hand. A simple arena just would not be able to contain all the different types of power that a tournament of different races would encompass. The training facilities on Vegeta-sei were in a constantly being upgraded as the race of Saiyans grew more and more powerful as the years went by.

"So we're gonna put that in the arena outside of Venova?" Goten asked as they left the room. Trunks simply nodded. "I hope this thing works like you want it to."

Trunks smirked. "With a few modifications, it should work exactly how I envision it will. Let's get this back to Venova."

* * *

Bulma sat on her throne. Brolly stood off to her left side. They were both watching the little pink alien devour cakes and tarts at a rate that would make any Saiyan look normal. Since his arrival at the palace two days prior, Buu had done nothing but tail after either Bulma or Bra and devour food. He seemed to take his job of being a bodyguard for Bulma seriously.

_He __doesn__'__t __seem __too __loyal __to __whoever __his __master __is __if __he __went __against __his __orders __so __easily. __Then __again, __he __seems __to __really __take __to __Bra_, Bulma thought as Buu burped after finishing his latest snack. _What__'__s __stopping __him __from __going __against __what __Bra __tells __him_?

"Probably because she keeps feeding him," Bulma muttered to answer her thoughts. She turned her head towards Brolly. "Did you tell Vegeta to proceed calmly when he comes? I don't want Buu trying to kill my husband," she said.

Brolly nodded. "The king will be here soon. He has been informed of the fragile nature of Buu's mentality. By the way," he stepped up closer to Bulma and kneeled to her level, "how do we know that the king isn't next on his list after you?"

Bulma's eyes widened. That thought had never crossed her mind. She looked away from Brolly and stood up. As she did so, Buu got to his feet, prepared to follow wherever the queen went. Bulma just approached him and motioned for him to sit back down. She sat on the steps next to him with Brolly standing close behind her.

"Queen need Buu?" Buu asked.

Bulma just smiled softly at him. "I just need to ask you a question, Buu. Do you know of Vegeta?" she asked timidly.

Buu stared at Bulma for a full minute. Then he nodded. "Buu told to kill Vegeta after he kill Queen." He appeared confused for a moment when he noticed Bulma's face. "Buu don't kill Vegeta?"

Bulma shook her head fervently. "No! You can't kill Vegeta. Instead, you must protect him like you protect me. He protects me and Bra, too," she said.

"Vegeta protects Bra, too?" Buu watched Bulma nod. "Then Buu protect Vegeta, too."

Bulma sighed and smiled. She looked up at Brolly. He took her hand and helped her stand. "Apparently, he was supposed to assassinate both of us. Imagine if Bra wasn't his buddy..."

* * *

That night, Bra slipped on a black training suit and black boots. She put on a cap to hide her vibrant hair. Then she threw a black cloak on. She stepped out on her balcony. Looking back once, she jumped over the side of it. She landed soundlessly four stories down. Then she began moving through the fields as fast as she could on foot.

When she hopped over the wall that separated the castle from the city, she landed next to another figure. Marron was standing there, dressed in a similar fashion. She smirked as she looked at Bra.

"You did well, princess. I'm surprised you managed to sneak out undetected. I half-expected to hear sirens going off."

"Well, I couldn't fly because then Brolly would feel me. I just had to use my natural abilities. I run pretty fast." Bra fixed her cloak on her. "How do you half-expect something?"

Marron rolled her eyes and took Bra's hand. "Let's go. We'll be late and I want to get a good seat," she said.

When they got to the city, it was almost completely deserted. Given the time of night, it was no surprise that the streets were empty. Bra and Marron came to the place known as The Ring pretty soon. They went around back where Marron knocked a few times. A peephole slid open to reveal two beady eyes that glared down at the girls.

"Who goes there?"

Marron sighed. "Just let me in, Merv," she said in a tired voice.

The peephole slid shut and Bra heard a few locks move. The next moment, the large door swung open. Marron pulled Bra through along with her. Bra's sensitive nose picked up several different smells. The place smelled of blood, sweat, dirt, and alcohol. It was dark with only enough light to be able to see directly in front of her. It was loud with the cheering and jeering.

The princess was so engaged with her surroundings that she barely noticed that Marron had pulled her closer. "What is it?" Bra asked.

"Stay close to me, princess. We don't want anyone to take off with you. I already said women are an endangered species in here." Marron held fast to her arm and pulled her along.

Bra could only nod numbly. They came to an auditorium a few stories down. The smells only attacked Bra's delicate senses even more. The smell of blood was even more present. It had gotten progressively darker. Marron took Bra to some bleachers where they sat behind what appeared to be a thick slab of glass. Just below them was a large ring. It was just a ring much like one where gladiators would do battle.

"What's this?" Bra asked.

"That," Marron looked back at Bra, "is The Ring. That's where all the fighting takes place. Apparently, we've come on a good night."

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Two Saiyans are up to fight. Care to wager on which one will win?" Marron smiled deviously at her.

"Wager? You mean place a bet?" Bra asked incredulously. "Maybe next time. Fights between Saiyans are unpredictable."

Marron nodded in agreement. "That definitely is true. However, just remember to keep your head down. A lot of the Saiyans that come through here are part of the army. If they saw you, it could be bad for everyone."

Bra simply nodded. She watched as it grew louder around her. The two contestants had entered. Bra did not recognize either, but she could easily tell they were part of the army. From the power she was reading from them, they could only be from the third-class ranks. She sat forward, closer to the glass as she watched them.

Marron stole a glance at the princess. She was already engrossed in the fight. She could tell just by the younger girl's eyes that she wished to be down in the ring, battling it out with some poor bloke. Marron had no doubt that the princess would win any fight she got into while there. However, if word got out that the princess was there then all hell would break loose.

* * *

Vegeta stomped loudly into the palace five days later. The first place headed for was the throne room. He knew his wife was already there, awaiting his presence. The message he had been given was disconcerting to say the least.

_Someone __sent __an __assassin __for __my __wife. __Almost __fifteen __years __free __of __assassination __attempts __gone __in __a __day. __The __woman __really __knows __how __to __make __enemies_, he thought as he pushed the doors to the throne room open. The king had to pause at the sight before him.

Bulma was in her usual seat on her throne. Brolly was in his usual spot beside her. Nothing was out of the ordinary for those two. What struck Vegeta as odd were his daughter and the pink... thing sitting at the foot of the steps. Bra was sitting across the room. She looked totally different in a dress and her hair done elegantly. She was surrounded by a few other girls her age. They were talking softly. Seeing his daughter acting like a... girl was new to Vegeta. Then his eyes rested on the little thing that was devouring food at an awfully fast rate.

_What __the __hell __is __that __thing_? Vegeta thought while his frown deepened. He read the power off the being and decided that it was probably better if he proceed with caution. It had not seemed to notice him yet. Vegeta began walking forward. He saw his wife shrug at him nervously.

"You called, woman?" Vegeta asked gruffly as he came up to closer. He noticed Buu give him a glance. Vegeta stared back at him for a moment and then looked back at his wife. "What's the problem?"

Bulma stood up and cleared her throat. Buu looked at her next. He stood up as she beckoned him closer. "Vegeta, this Buu. Buu, this is the king," she said.

Buu nodded in recognition as he stuffed the last of his pastries in his mouth. "Buu protect king. Buu protect Vegeta." The alien smiled at him.

Vegeta cringed inwardly. The thing known as Buu was quite creepy. There was something in his eyes that just screamed _**CRAZY**_. However, the Saiyan king said nothing and just inclined his head slightly. He watched Buu go back to eating his sweets and he stepped up closer to his wife.

"Yes, husband?" Bulma asked.

"A word, woman." Vegeta exited the room through a door behind the thrones.

* * *

Bra had noticed her father. However, she said nothing and just watched him and her mother leave the room. She released the breath she had been holding and slouched a bit. Her ladies giggled when they noticed her relieved face.

"Something wrong, your highness?" one of them asked.

Bra shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that sitting like there's a rod in my back starts to hurt after awhile," she said with a slight smile. Her ladies giggled. Bra just continued to smile nervously, looking back at Buu and Brolly.

_This__ "__princess__" __thing __just __isn__'__t __my __thing_, she thought morbidly.

* * *

Bulma turned to face her husband. He looked confused and angry at the same time. That was not anything new for Vegeta, but Bulma could tell something was really bothering him. "Are you going to tell me what is on your mind?"

Vegeta gave his wife a sideways glance. "What the hell is that thing?" he asked.

"I have no idea. Somehow he knows Bra. He said he was sent here to kill me. The next target, believe it or not, was you."

Vegeta stood there, dumbfounded. "So why hasn't he slaughtered us both?"

"I already said why. He's Bra's friend. Bra told me they met in Grexia." Bulma's eyes widened. "Vegeta, Grexia was destroyed immediately after I left. If he was on Grexia with us, then he should have died. He didn't come here in a spaceship. You don't think he..." Bulma trailed off.

"Destroyed Grexia? Is that what you were going to ask?" Vegeta asked, annoyed. "Yes, woman! That thing has the power to destroy entire systems."

"Then I suppose it is fortunate for us that Bra is a social butterfly," Bulma said sarcastically. Vegeta grunted his response. "How did the hand-off with Garlic go?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "It went well. I still don't trust him, though. In a year's time we'll be hearing of his misdeeds with that thing."

Bulma smiled. "Well, at least we made a lot of money. That's always a plus."

"Not when it comes back to haunt us in the future, woman." Vegeta released a sigh. "A tournament is going to be held on Vegeta-sei, as the Universal Alliance requested."

"When did they request that?"

"They sent a notice not too long before I left. I put the boy in charge of it."

Bulma blinked. "You left Trunks alone to run a tournament?" she asked in amazement.

"Yes. He's perfectly capable of doing things on his own, woman." Vegeta uncrossed his arms and began approaching his wife. Bulma watched him warily but did not move. "You've done an amazing job with the bratling. She didn't try to tackle me when she saw me."

Bulma smirked as he stepped right up to her. "Well, she's been quite... obedient. However, she's miserable. She's only been here for about two weeks and I can already tell she hates it. She's dying to train."

"You haven't let her train?" Vegeta asked, narrowing his eyes again.

"Training isn't exactly in princess protocol, Vegeta. She's been training for a different battle these last weeks. She might not verbalize it, but she's miserable. She's a fighter," Bulma said.

Vegeta could hear the sadness in his queen's voice. "Woman, the bratling doesn't hate you. She's doing this to please you. She's doing this because she needs to."

"I know, Vegeta. But I want Bra to do it because she _**WANTS**_ to. I don't want to force my child to do anything." Bulma leaned against him. "Listen, take her back with you. Let her watch this tournament. Let her train and then send her back here to complete her lessons."

"What about the pink thing?"

Bulma laughed. "His name is Buu and I expect you to call him by it. He really is just a sweetie once you get to know him. Just feed him junk food and he'll do whatever you say."

"Sounds like Kakarrot..."

"That's not nice, Vegeta. Anyway, he'll stay here with me. He seems to enjoy being my other bodyguard when he's not tagging after Bra to the kitchens."

"Whatever you say, woman." Vegeta turned and walked away from her. When he entered the throne room again, he observed his daughter silently. Bulma was right.

_She __looks __depressed. __Better __get __this __out __the __way __and __brace __myself_, Vegeta thought. He cleared his throat.

"Bratling," he said loudly.

Bra whipped her head around to look at her father. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Go pack your things. You're coming to Vegeta-sei to train and attend the tournament."

Bra's eyes lit up. "I can fight in a tournament?"

Vegeta shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not. You're going to _**ATTEND**_ it as the Sovereign Princess and _**OBSERVE**_ only. You will not battle in it. However, you will keep up a strict training regimen. After the tournament is over, you will return here and finish training under your mother. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Bra said loudly. Vegeta nodded, signaling she could leave. Before she did, she ran to her father. Vegeta braced himself for impact. Instead of tackling him, she stopped directly in front of him and elegantly curtsied to him. "Thank you, Daddy," she said quietly. Then she ran off, her ladies following after her as quickly as they could.

Vegeta stared in absolute shock at what just occurred. He heard a small chuckle behind him and looked at his wife. "What are you laughing at?"

Bulma just continued to smile as she sauntered past him. "You're adorable when you're befuddled."


	13. Chapter 13: Influenced

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 13: Influenced**

* * *

Bra rolled her right shoulder around, trying to ease the soreness of it. She was waiting to be let off the ship. They had arrived back at Vegeta-sei in near record time. She spent most of the trip training with her father instead of bots and other sparring partners on one condition: she had to learn the language of Vegeta-sei.

"_If __you __want __to __rule, __the __first __thing __you __must __know __is __how __to __speak __our __language_," he had said to her. After she said it was useless as it was a language only used in homes, Vegeta had struck a nerve. "_The __boy __knows __the __language __inside __and __out; __as __well __as __several __other __planetary __languages_."

That had been enough to make Bra spend half her days learning the language and the other halves training with her father. She was now sporting a pretty nasty bruise on her right shoulder. What troubled her most at the moment was not her shoulder, though. It was the aching in her head and the violent whispers of death. The princess had never slain anyone before; at least not intentionally (as far as she knew). She had no idea where these thoughts were coming from. They did not even seem as though they were her own.

But at the same time, they were her inner voice.

"What ails you, brat?" Vegeta asked as he stepped up next to Bra.

Bra visibly flinched. Her mind was so preoccupied that she had not even sensed her powerful father approaching. She shook her head quickly. "Nothing, Daddy. My shoulder is just a little sore."

Knowing she was lying through her teeth, Vegeta decided to let it slide and simply nodded. When she was ready, she would tell him her problems; she always did. Unlike his son, Bra felt much more comfortable talking with her father. Trunks was far more open with his mother. Vegeta was not surprised by that, as he had been the same way.

_The __moon__'__s __influence __is __probably __already __getting __to __her. __I __wonder __who __the __unlucky __soul __she __encounters __will __be. __Heaven __forbid __that __this __soul __think __he __is __lucky_, he thought.

Vegeta never explained the influence the moon had over the Saiyans to Bra. The most she knew was that when they looked directly at a full moon, they transform. She knew that her tail was the purpose of that. She had seen her father do it once on Earth as a simple demonstration for her when she was... smaller. She herself had never transformed because her mother kept her inside during Earth's full moons.

Other than that, Bra knew nothing about the full moon's influence; especially Vegeta-sei's moon, which was much larger than Earth's measly ball of dust. Vegeta wondered briefly if he should tell her or just allow nature to take its course. He was certain that as the full moon drew nearer, she would come to him and ask just what the hell was wrong with her. She always came whining to him.

_I __should __tell __her, __but __if __I __do __she__'__ll __simply __take __it __to __mean __a __challenge __and __rush __forth __into __it __without __giving __it __a __second __thought. __It__'__ll __be __far __easier __to __control __her __if __she __comes __to __me __about __it, __which __she __will_, Vegeta mused as the gate to the ship opened. He could feel his son and his friends waiting just outside.

* * *

Trunks watched as his father sauntered off the ship. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Bra just behind him. He appeared even more shocked when he saw Marron walking next to his sister. He had not seen her in a few years, but the sight of her was indeed a pleasant one.

"Who's she?" Paris asked Goten.

"That's Marron, the Senior Delegate's daughter. I didn't know she made friends with Bra," Goten said quietly.

Marron saw the prince and tried to not to smile. He had often spent his training breaks on Earth and most of his time traipsing about the cities and palaces with her and Goten. It was good to see them both again. She looked to her left at Bra. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the hard look she was giving the group of teenagers.

"Princess, are you okay?" she whispered.

Bra snapped out of her trance with a few blinks. She glanced over at Marron. "I'm fine," she replied curtly.

"I didn't know you were returning with Bra, Father," Trunks said as Vegeta came level with him.

"Hn. The brat was restless on Earth. She can stay for this silly event and then she's going back to finish her lessons with the woman. Have you made any progress?" Vegeta asked, never breaking his stride. The six others followed after him, trying to keep up with his brisk pace. Only Trunks remained by his side.

"As a matter of fact, I have. I hope you don't mind but we borrowed the terrain simulator from your training room in Aenire." Trunks watched his father glare at him through his peripheral vision. "It's just for the tournament."

"I told you that this was your event to set up. Do what you must." Vegeta stopped and rounded on the teenagers. "Stay out of my way. Brat, you will go see the scribes in the library for your lessons in the mornings. After that, you will go to the training facilities. Your assignments will be there," he said.

"Yes, Daddy," Bra said, sounding like she was in a hypnotic stupor. She was staring directly in front of her. Vegeta seemed to ignore his daughter's strange behavior and continued on without them. Bra shook her head. She turned towards her brother's friends. "Anyone up for a spar before dinner?" she asked.

The older kids looked among each other. Paris looked at Bra. "I don't mind one," she said plainly. Personally, Paris needed a challenge. Goten and Trunks still refused to fight her on an even keel and Liss was not nearly as strong as her.

Bra nodded. "Let's go." She turned and stalked off towards the palace's training facility. Paris followed quickly after her.

Goten was first to catch up with them. "Paris, are you sure you want to spar with the princess?" he whispered.

Paris chuckled softly. "Afraid I might hurt her, Goten? I had no idea you cared so much," she said.

"It's not that," Goten said. He looked ahead of them and saw how briskly Bra walked. Something was definitely up with the princess. He rarely saw her so serious, even if it had to do with fighting.

Trunks, Goten, Liss, and Marron went to the observation area of the training room. Trunks pressed the intercom. "Okay, this will be best of three takedowns. Would you ladies like the gravity on?" he asked. He seemed oblivious to his sister's behavior.

"Whatever," Bra called. She had her back to them. "One hundred times normal gravity okay for you?" she asked Paris. Paris simply shrugged.

When the gravity simulator came on, both girls visibly felt it. Both had trained under such conditions. Bra had only recently gotten used to this type of gravity while training with Vegeta on the ship. She had a hard time throwing full force blows, but there was one thing she had on her side.

When Paris attacked at first, it took a moment to realize she was only swinging at air. The next second, she was kissing the floor. It was not a particularly strong blow the princess had dealt her. However, she had not expected Bra to be so fast; especially not in this gravity.

"Wow. Her speed has increased a lot since we last sparred. I didn't think she would be so fast under this gravity yet. Father must be working her hard," Trunks observed. The others simply nodded numbly as they watched the other two girls go at it in the air.

Paris landed a punch in Bra's midsection. The princess doubled over. Paris then sent her to the ground with an elbow to her back. Bra landed harder than she would have liked due to the gravity. Paris followed her. Bra pushed herself up and off the ground, narrowly avoiding Paris' next blow. Paris managed to slow herself enough to land on her feet. She turned her head to see Bra's foot coming towards her. She grabbed Bra's ankle and threw her towards the far wall.

"_Play __to __your __strengths. __Your __size __enables __you __to __be __agile __and __speedy. __Think __when __you __fight. __Keep __a __clear __mind. __When __you __are __over-powered, __use __your __strengths __to __your __advantage __to __avoid __exposing __your __weaknesses_." Bra remembered her father's words. She quickly turned her body so that her feet landed on the wall. She rebounded off of it and flew towards Paris.

_Fucking __foolish __to __attack __head-on, __princess_, Paris thought, a smirk coming to her face. She waited until the last moment to swing. Once again, she was swinging at air. With her fist hanging in the air, Bra reappeared right in front of her and decked Paris right in the jaw. The older girl slammed into the ground, knocked dizzy.

"Looks like Bra has taken round one!" Trunks said through the intercom.

"You shouldn't underestimate me," the princess said. Bra approached Paris and held out her hand. Rubbing her jaw, Paris took it and stood. "Another round." It was not a request. Bra turned around and walked a good distance from Paris. The moment Bra turned back around to face Paris, she was punched.

The spectators all winced as Bra was knocked into the wall. Marron frowned. "That was a sucker punch!"

"No one said there were any rules," Goten said. He glanced over at Trunks. The prince's big brother instinct was starting to kick in. His glare had become more prominent. In the first round, he had not worried too much about Bra's wellbeing. But he knew how competitive Paris could be and when she was losing, she forgot the common courtesies of sparring. Cheap shots became fair game to her.

For all her speed, Bra was beginning to find it tedious trying to dodge and block everything Paris was throwing at her. Obviously, the girl hated losing. That or she was definitely not used to it. Despite her obvious anger, Paris' blows were accurate as well as powerful. She caught Bra in the stomach with a kick, sending the princess back to the ground. Bra coughed as she landed on her knees.

"Trunks, who is more powerful?" Marron asked, never taking her eyes off the fight.

Trunks shrugged. "At the moment, Paris is stronger. Bra is faster, though. This will probably come down to tactics. On that front, I have no idea who's better," he answered, looking at Marron. He was surprised she could follow the fight. Most humans could not follow when two Saiyans fought.

Bra was dealt a particularly painful blow to her side. As she winced, she was knocked backwards by a hook to her jaw. She hit the floor hard, nearly losing consciousness. Paris really was physically stronger than her. It was clear that it was going to a third round.

"You've won this round, Paris," Trunks said before Paris could advance on his sister. He looked at Bra. She was making her way to her feet. He could see her left eye beginning to swell. Both girls were pretty bruised up. "Are you up for one more round, Bra?" he asked.

"What the hell do you think?" Bra growled.

Goten glanced back at Trunks. "This is going to get ugly. Neither one of them like to lose," he said. It was more a warning than a statement. Trunks simply nodded.

Bra and Paris were now circling each other. The two eventually flew towards each other. In a surprise move, Bra put her hands on the floor, kicking upwards. Paris managed to barely dodge her feet. She kneed Bra in the stomach, flipping her over. Bra gained her footing back to see Paris running towards her. Bra immediately dropped to the floor and swept her leg underneath Paris, tripping her up. As Paris fell forward, Bra punched her. She ran after Paris' falling form. The other girl turned quickly, kicking Bra in the face and sending her backwards again. They both landed on the ground, breathing hard.

The princess wiped her mouth. She looked down at her hand and saw the blood. As she stared at her own blood, she failed to notice Paris charging towards her. She did not seem to notice Paris' attack. However, she did grab Paris' arm as it came close to her head. Bra pulled her forward and smashed her forehead against Paris'.

* * *

Vegeta blinked. There was something strange about his daughter's energy. It was spiking violently. The fluctuations had already been present but now it was dangerously high. He doubted his daughter would have control over her next actions.

_The __moon __has __more __influence __over __her __than __I initially __thought_, he thought. Figuring Trunks and Goten would be able to subdue her, he monitored the situation as he continued to listen to the council report to him.

* * *

Liss and Marron visibly winced at the attack. Both Bra and Marron now sported bloody marks where their heads made contact. As Paris was falling back, Bra grabbed her again. She pulled her into a punch. Without letting go, Bra twisted around, taking Paris' left arm with her. She heard the somewhat satisfying crunching sound of bones breaking. She finally released Paris, sending her into the ground.

"Trunks, this is getting out of hand," Goten said.

"You're right." Trunks stood up and rushed out of the room.

Bra jumped up and towards Paris' fallen body. She landed hard, planting her knee right in Paris' ribcage, breaking several of them. Then she straddled her opponent and began pummeling her. Paris was not exactly taking the beating lying down. Even though she was at a clear disadvantage, she still tried to fight Bra off. They barely noticed the gravity in the room being shut off, although it made breathing slightly easier for Paris. Bra did not hear her brother yelling for her to stop. All she heard was what sounded like her blood being pumped by her heart. Her only intent at the moment was to cause Paris as much pain as possible. She intended to kill the girl. If she killed, maybe the voices would go away. Maybe the rushing blood would stop. Before she could deliver what would be the final blow, she was yanked backwards, pulled into a full nelson by someone much stronger than herself.

Trunks held his sister as tight as he could without hurting her. She struggled in his arms. He dragged her back and away from Paris. Goten tended to the other girl. She was barely recognizable after the vicious beating Bra was giving her. She still managed to sit up and glare at Bra through her bloody and swollen eyes.

"Paris, calm down. We need to get you to a tank," Goten said, trying to get the girl to relax.

Bra watched the two. She continued to fight in her brother's grasp, growling and screaming. Sighing, Trunks released her. Before she could do anything, Trunks phased in front of her. He planted his fist in her stomach. Bra's eyes widened. She stumbled back and fell to her knees. Before she hit the floor, she had lost consciousness.

Goten walked up to him as he gathered Trunks hoisted his sister up on his back. "What the hell was that about?" he asked.

"I don't know exactly. It wasn't like she was in one of her rages. Her power was too erratic for that. She was just... violent. Get Paris to the tanks. I'll meet you there after I drop Bra off."

* * *

Vegeta rested his head in his hand as he listened to his council go on and on about fiscal matters. Once again, the Galactic Council was concerned about the Saiyan Empire making too much money. "Why does it matter how much money I make?" he grumbled.

Bardock cleared his throat. "The logical answer to that is they don't think it is good for... their authority. It makes it seem as though the empire is a monopoly," he said.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow as he looked at the senior councilman. "In other words, they're afraid of us," he said bluntly. Bardock cleared his throat and simply nodded. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. I don't doubt it's true though."

"Perhaps that is why they want this tournament; use it as a chance to spy on the empire and see how things are run," Paragus said.

"I agree. We should tighten security up more as the tournament date nears. I daresay that the prince is certainly doing a fine job of getting things together. By the way, a few days ago the base on Ganymede reported seeing a suspicious craft heading towards Earth. Should we alert the forces on Earth of potential danger?" Bardock asked.

Vegeta nodded. "Yes. Send two squads of Elite and first-class soldiers. I don't want an incident," he said. "Is that all?"

"That's everything, sire," Bardock said.

Vegeta nodded and stalked back out of the room. He needed to find his kids. Bra's energy was no longer irregular. Now it appeared that she was unconscious. He could tell she was in her quarters with Marron. Trunks and Goten seemed to be in infirmary.

_I __wonder __who __she __tried __to __kill_, Vegeta thought with a slight smirk.

He found Goten and Trunks arguing while standing in front of a healing tank. Vegeta recognized the girl inside as Goten's... Well, he did not know what their relationship was exactly. She looked like she had gotten her ass handed to her. The other girl that was usually with them was sitting and watching the two boys argue. Vegeta cleared his throat loudly.

Trunks faced his father. The king just crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, Father. I thought you had..."

"What happened here, boy?" Vegeta cut his son off.

"Well, Bra got a little carried away during the sparring session." Trunks gestured towards the healing chamber.

"She went crazy," Goten said loudly. He noticed Vegeta narrow his eyes and swallowed. "Sorry, but that's the only way I can describe it. Trunks had to knock her out before she killed Paris. She barely stopped when Trunks pulled her off."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Your sister is feeling the effects of the moon. She's going to get extremely violent. Although she is young, her body says otherwise." The king placed a hand to his temple. "It's times like these when I wish the brat was a boy."

"Why? Can't she just do what I did during my first full moon? All I did was go out and kill something while transformed. I felt loads better afterwards," Trunks said. Goten nodded; he'd done the same.

"How I wish it was that simple. Usually, that would do the trick. However, the brat is... different. Females in general are different. There's a reason why most go into hiding during the full moon," Vegeta said.

"He's right," Liss said quietly. Everyone looked at her. "Women... change. We feel different. I was only ten, but I could tell the difference. My parents sent me to this camp. Paris came too. We stayed there for the duration of the full moon."

"So what does Bra have to do to satisfy whatever need she's feeling?" Trunks asked.

Vegeta shook his head, trying not to think about it. He needed to consult with his wife. He turned and left the boys and Liss alone.

"Wow. It must be pretty bad if Father's that wound up about it. But, you're a girl too, Liss. Why aren't you all nuts like Bra?" Trunks asked, looking back down at the girl.

Liss shrugged. "The feelings are easier to deal with the second time around. Besides, we're older now. However, Paris is naturally more inclined to fight than I am. That's part of the reason why she was so fierce against the princess during the spar. That and the fact that she doesn't like to be bested by anyone."

* * *

Bra opened her eyes. She blinked a few times. Her face felt heavy and her left eye hurt. She knew without touching it that her face was swollen. She felt someone rubbing something over her wounds. She turned her head and saw Marron over her.

"Hello there. Feeling any better?" Marron asked.

"What happened?" Bra managed to whisper through puffy lips.

"Your sparring match got a little out of control. I think it's safe to say you won, though."

"I won? How?"

"Well, you're here and your opponent is in a healing tank. Like I said," Marron picked up some bandages, "you won."

Bra hummed as Marron started wrapping her arm in the bandages. "I barely remember the third round. There was this awful rushing sound and pounding in my head. Felt like I was underwater or something. The only thing I can remember clearly is seeing..." She stopped herself short.

_Perhaps __I __should __keep __that __to __myself __until __I __ask __Daddy __just __what __the __hell __is __wrong __with __me_, she mused. She was a bit shocked at her language, as she rarely cursed in her own thoughts. Bra sat up slowly, holding her abdomen. _I __guess __my __body __isn__'__t __completely __used __to __that __gravity __after __all_.

"Are you hungry?" Marron asked as she put away the medical supplies. Bra mumbled something that sounded like a yes. "Then I'll have some food brought to you. You just stay there and rest." The blonde human got up and left Bra's bedroom.

Bra noticed the moonlight that flooded her room. She could not help but to look at it through the sheer white drapes. She felt the voices become louder before managing to pull her gaze away. By the next month it would be completely full. She was a bit afraid of what was going to happen.

* * *

Bulma walked out to her balcony. It was nighttime on Earth. Her little alien bodyguard was perched on the railing, staring up at the stars. She had a feeling at what he was looking for; she'd already spoken with Vegeta. She walked up next to him and leaned over the balcony.

"Something coming for Queen," Buu said.

Bulma smirked and followed his gaze. "Is it something we should be worried about?" she asked.

"Buu thinks it might be his master."

"I see. At the speed in which the ship is moving, it should reach Earth in a little over six months. Considering how fast our spacecrafts move, that's fairly slow. Is this master of yours powerful?" Bulma asked.

Buu shook his head. "Master was afraid of Buu, so Buu thinks he is more powerful than master. But master had magic powers," he answered.

"Magic, you say? Well, you still plan on protecting me and Earth right?"

"Buu promised to protect Queen. Queen is important to Bra. Buu will not let harm come to Queen or Queen's home. Buu no longer follows that master."

Bulma nodded. She knew he would most likely stay on the balcony for the duration of the night. She walked back inside and returned with a plate of cakes. Buu took them happily and went back to staring up at the sky.

_At __least __his __loyalty __will __not __sway. __However, __I __don__'__t __know __what __kind __of __power __this__ "__master__" __of __his __possesses __though. __It __could __bring __Buu __back __under his __control. __Hopefully, __Buu __is __strong __enough __to __fight __it_, she thought as she got into her bed. _What__'__s __even __more __disconcerting __is __Bra__'__s __condition. __I __hope __Vegeta __knows __what __he__'__s __doing_...

* * *

Two weeks later, Goten was overseeing construction in the stadium outside of Venova along with Trunks and the other girls. Marron had accompanied them as Bra was doing her language studies.

"So... How exactly do these machines you've installed work?" Paris asked Trunks. She was still a bit salty about losing to the princess. They gave each other nasty looks every time they saw one another. At times, she would take her saltiness out on Trunks and sometimes Goten. Trunks did not take up for his sister, but Goten constantly did which saved him the trouble. His recurrent excuse was that Bra was "still new to being a teenager."

"The final rounds will take place in a pocket dimension..."

"In simple terms, Trunks. I don't know what a pocket dimension is," Paris snapped.

Marron rolled her eyes. "A pocket dimension is just that: a dimension within our dimension that can be created and destroyed at will. Since the prince expects only the strongest fighters to make it into the later rounds, they cannot very well fight in this venue without destroying it. That's why he's creating pocket dimensions; so the final fighters may be free to fight without fear of hurting others."

Trunks and the others all stared at Marron in awe. A smile came to the prince's face. "I don't think I could've explained it better. Thanks," he said.

Marron blinked at his compliment. She turned away from him quickly. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Let's go back. I'm starving," Goten said, turning away from the construction zone. The Saiyans all agreed. Marron sighed, having no choice but to follow them.

* * *

Bra tried to concentrate on the different rune-like letters that involved her father's native language. She'd been told the official name of said language was _Saiyago_. It made no difference to her. She still saw it as useless, but if Trunks could learn it as well as several other languages, so could she. But her attentiveness was not nearly what it should be. She started listening to what the voice in her head was screaming at her. It did not help that a certain someone's face kept appearing in her face. Even after trying to avoid said person, she always seemed to think of them. It was getting tedious. Finally, the princess slammed her pen down.

Her assigned scribe, an old man named Kosho, looked up as the princess stood up. "Is something wrong, your majesty?" he asked.

"I need to speak with my father. I promise I'll make my lessons up double tomorrow." Bra ran off, leaving the old man in the library.

* * *

Trunks and friends were entering the dining hall just as Bra rounded the corner. She saw them and immediately ducked into another corridor. The other five all looked around at each other.

"That was strange. You'd think she was running from us," Marron said as they all filed into the dining hall.

Trunks snorted. "She's not avoiding _**US**_, per se. However, she _**IS**_ avoiding Goten. She's been avoiding him like the plague," he said.

"She is not! What did I do to her?" Goten pouted slightly. "I haven't done anything but be nice to her."

"I thought she was avoiding me. The most I get is a nasty glare when we cross paths. I thought she was at least on good terms with you, Goten. You know? Seeing how you're always kissing her ass," Paris said, playfully pulling his hair. "Maybe you should just talk to her and see what's up her ass."

Goten shrugged at her suggestion. "Right now, I just wanna eat."

* * *

Kakarrot stopped his assault on Vegeta. "She's coming, Vegeta." He looked at his opponent. Vegeta'd already headed over to shut off the gravity simulator. Chuckling, Kakarrot patted Vegeta's shoulder, earning a low growl from the king, "I'll be taking my leave now." Kakarrot left the room through a side door while chuckling.

The king could also feel his daughter's troubled soul approaching him. He was surprised she'd lasted so long without seeking counsel from him. If he didn't know any better, he would think the princess was a little shy about talking to him. _Fat __chance_, he thought with a snort. It was only five more seconds before the girl in question burst into his private training room. Vegeta just crossed his arms and waited patiently.

"Hello, Bra," he said.

Bra raised an eyebrow. It was no surprise he knew she was coming. After all, he could sense everyone. But, did he know what she wanted? He used her real name. Obviously, he did. She slowly came to a stop about five feet from him. "Hi, Daddy."

"Don't play coy with me, brat. Tell me what's on your mind. Or rather what it's telling you to do," Vegeta said.

"Um, okay." Bra looked down at the floor for a moment. "It's awful, Daddy! I keep thinking horrible, horrible thoughts. I mean, I'm not against violence or anything. I like fighting. However, I keep thinking I should do very bad things to, um, _someone_. But another part of me doesn't want to do those things. I don't want to hurt... _them_."

Vegeta almost smirked. He knew if he did, she would probably run away from him in a fit of anger. Instead, he focused on how she was going through great lengths not to reveal who this _someone_ was. He just continued to stare at her.

Bra could feel her father's piercing gaze on her. He wanted her to look at him. She could not bring herself to do it. She felt almost guilty about the foul thoughts she'd been having. They were not befitting of royalty, but rather of some heathen.

"Brat, look at me," Vegeta implored in a firm voice. She complied slowly. "There's nothing wrong with you. I'm actually surprised you managed to refrain from acting upon those thoughts. I know that it took a great deal of willpower. Most your age have already experienced this before. However, seeing how your actual age does not coincide with your body, that you are having a tougher time is no surprise. Because of that, you must actually... satisfy these urges rather than delay their effect."

"So, you know what's happening? Is it something I can fix? Do I have to meditate? Do I have to go back to Earth? What is it?" Bra asked eagerly. She was hopeful her father had the answer.

Vegeta groaned inwardly. "The object of these thoughts," he began, "is the solution."

Bra shook her head. "But I don't wanna harm... _them_. I don't wanna kill _them_. Why would I do that?"

"You don't have to kill _them_." Vegeta went along with her. He was not sure he wanted to know who she was having these thoughts about. He could easily find out via telepathy, but that would be a complete breach of her privacy. "Just attack _them_."

"Attack? But why would I do that?"

"Just listen to what I say," Vegeta said loudly, restraining himself from outright yelling at her. This was hard enough without her interrupting him every time he spoke. "Walk right up to _them_ and deliver a haymaker. Then simply walk away. Whatever happens after that... happens." The words were almost painful to say.

Bra noticed the sick look on her father's face. She got the feeling that this was somehow like the _**OTHER**_ talk about "becoming a woman" she'd had with her mother before coming back to Vegeta-sei. Only this one was something she had to hear from her father and her father only.

"Okay, Daddy. This won't hurt will it?"

"I hope not, princess," he mumbled. It was barely audible, but Bra heard him. She bounced forward and hugged her father. No matter how much Saiyan was in her, she was still _**HUMAN**_ enough to hug her favorite person in the universe. Then she let go and ran towards the door.

"Thanks, Daddy!" With that she was gone.

* * *

The others were just now sitting down with their mountainous plates of food. Marron simply had a bowl of fruit. She sat down next to Trunks just as Bra opened the door to the dining hall.

"Hey, Bra! We were just..." Marron fell back into Trunks as the princess rushed past her. Trunks caught her and they turned just in time to see Bra deck Goten just hard enough for him to feel pain. Then there was just silence. Bra stood there for a moment, completely in awe of what she had just done. Then, she simply turned and ran out of the room.

Goten touched his face. The punch had only stung a bit. However, the principle was just that she hit him. Just as the door shut, he took off after her, leaving the others simply staring in wonder.

"What the hell just happened?" Trunks whispered.


	14. Chapter 14: Dominance

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 14: Dominance**

* * *

Bra slowed down when she was a good distance down the corridor that led to the dining hall. _That __went __better __than __I __expected. __I __don__'__t __feel __any __different, __though. __I __wonder __if __that__'__s __what __Daddy __meant_, she thought. She heard the dining hall door open and turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw Goten looking around. He spotted her and started running towards her. Panicking, Bra took off.

Goten did not know why he was chasing the princess. He just felt compelled to. He felt as though he needed to catch her. He had no idea what was going to happen when he did, because he would. Bra could not outrun him forever.

_This __would __be __way __easier __if __she __wasn__'__t __so __damn __fast_, he reflected.

* * *

Bulma yawned as she turned on the monitor in the conference room. Vegeta's face came into her blurry vision. She sat down, rubbing her eyes to get a better look at him. It did not take her long to notice his frown was deeper than usual. "What's wrong, Vegeta? Is there a reason you've called for me so early in the morning? The sun's not even up yet," she said sleepily.

Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose. "The brat finally came to me earlier," he said.

This woke Bulma up completely. "Well? How did it go? Did she take it well? Is she okay? What's happening now? Is she there with you?" The questions came faster than Vegeta could process them. He gave Bulma a look to make her stop. "Sorry. I'm just concerned."

"Clearly." Vegeta leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in. "I told her what to do. Beyond not wanting to attack anyone, she seemed fine. When I told her what to do, she agreed and went off to accomplish the... goal."

Bulma waited a moment. Vegeta was definitely not having a good day. "She didn't tell you who it was, did she?" She watched him shake his head. "But, you do know by now, right?"

"Of course. If their energy is anything to go by, Kakarrot's second runt is who she had in mind," Vegeta said, growling at the thought.

"Goten, huh?" Bulma looked away for a moment. "Well, that's better than some random soldier she sees every day. Can you tell what they're doing now?"

"Woman, I'd rather not think about that," Vegeta said quickly. "I want you to attend this tournament. Various dignitaries and the majority of the Galactic Council will be here. I'd rather not have to deal with all of them alone."

Bulma knew he was only changing the subject to take his mind off of their daughter. She would oblige for the moment. "What about the spacecraft that's heading to Earth?"

"You said it would take six months to get to Earth. The tournament will last for two weeks. I doubt a month of that time will make a difference. Besides, whenever the brat finishes doing whatever it is she's doing, she'll probably want to talk to you," Vegeta said. He heard his wife chuckle softly. "What are you laughing at?"

"You. You're just so... edgy. It's not like you to be edgy. Bra's situation isn't _**THAT**_ bad is it?" Bulma asked, yawning again.

"It isn't the situation, woman. It's what she might be doing that's the problem." Vegeta shook his head. "Just get here. The tournament starts next week and with it comes those council fools. I don't think I can last long without killing someone."

"Why's that? You actually think I would stop you? I hate them just as much as you do. From what you keep telling me, they're basically staging this as a way to spy on us," Bulma said, resting her chin in her hand.

Vegeta shrugged, noticing her tiredness. "Go and rest, woman. Leave tomorrow."

Bulma saluted him. "As you wish, your majesty."

* * *

Vegeta sighed as the connection severed. He could feel the erratic energy of both Goten and Bra. They were getting farther and farther away from the palace. Knowing Bra's speed and stamina, Goten would not be able to catch her for a few hours. Cringing, he went in search of someone to beat up.

He found his son.

"Gravity room. Now." Vegeta's tone did not leave it up for discussion.

Trunks winced. _It__'__s __so __embarrassing __when __I __have __to __spar __with __Father. __He__'__s __so __much __stronger __than __I __am_, he thought, glancing back at the ladies that were following him. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a weakling in front of some girls. _Well, __he __**IS **__the __most __powerful __person __on __this __side __of __the __galaxy. __They __should __just __judge __this __by __how __long __I __last_.

* * *

Bra floated upside-down underwater with her arms and legs crossed. She had lowered her energy so she could hide from Goten. Saiyans could hold their breath far longer than humans could. She was a bit confused though. _Why __am __I __running __from __him? __Why __is __he __chasing __me? __Is __he __mad __that __I __hit __him_? Her mind only asked these questions when she had a chance to think. When she was running, the only thing she wanted to do was give Goten a contest. She wanted to show him that she would not easily be so caught; if he wanted her, he was going to work for it. Her eyes popped open. _Is __that __why? __Do __I __want __him __to __cat_... Her thoughts were interrupted when a body appeared in front of her. Bra's eyes widened and she swam quickly to her right to avoid being caught by Goten.

_Shit! __I __almost __had __her_! Goten growled low in his throat as he watched her swim up and out of the lake. He pursued her as fast as he could. The moment he shot up he saw her take off into the trees. Then he stopped. There was no way he would catch Bra chasing her directly. He would have to outsmart her.

Bra stopped running. She noticed that she could not hear Goten's footsteps behind her. She could feel him around, though. Narrowing her blue eyes, she continued running. She had to skid to a stop to avoid running into him as he phased in front of her. Before he could grab her she changed direction. Goten smirked and ran in another direction. _What __the __hell __is __he __doing_? Bra thought. She had to deviate her path again as he appeared in front of her again. _Damnit! __How __does __he __keep __getting __in __front __of __me_? Goten phased in front of Bra again. Just as she turned to run around, Goten grabbed her around the waist. Bra gasped as she realized she'd been caught.

"Gotcha," Goten whispered in her ear.

Bra elbowed Goten as hard as she could. He loosened his grip on her waist and she shrugged him off. She continued to run until she ran out of ground. She turned around just as Goten plowed into her and they went tumbling over the edge of the steep hill all while clawing, scratching, punching, and kicking each other.

* * *

Trunks slammed into the floor. He coughed up a bit of phlegm as he got back to his feet. Vegeta was glaring down at him. Sighing, the prince attacked his father again. Vegeta simply moved to the side and elbowed Trunks on his back. The prince was once again introduced to the floor of the gravity room. Hitting the metal floor with the gravity set at 300g was enough to almost knock him out. _What __did __I __do __to __deserve __this __ass-beating_? Trunks thought as he stood up. He rose only to have to immediately block a punch from Vegeta. He felt a flare of energy and turned his head. It was an ill-advised move, as Vegeta decked him, sending him flying again. Rubbing his cheek, Trunks frowned at his father. _I__'__m __pretty __sure __he __felt __that_.

Vegeta had indeed felt the energy spike in both Bra and Goten. Shuddering, he noticed the boy was glaring at him. "What?"

"What's going on with Bra? Why did she punch Goten? Why did Goten go after her? Why is their energy... like that?" Trunks flooded Vegeta with questions.

The king cracked his knuckles. "Your sister had to release some... tension. Kakarrot's runt is who she decided to release it on. Make of that what you will."

Trunks' eyes widened. "And you're _**ALLOWING**_ that?"

"Unless you want your sister going on a rampage every day until the full moon passes, then you'll let her do as she pleases with the runt," Vegeta said. He then rushed towards his son. Trunks did not have time to say anything else as his father launched a full assault on him.

* * *

"Brolly, you must stay here," Bulma said as she watched her techs pack some of her new inventions up.

The burly Saiyan was not happy about the order that he was to stay and command the incoming forces. "Queen Bulma, I believe I should accompany you. I am your bodyguard," he said.

Bulma smiled and faced Brolly. She put a hand on his broad chest and looked up into his eyes. "I will be fine, Brolly. I'm just going to make sure my husband doesn't kill any luminaries. I'll be back before you even have a chance to miss me. Be careful with that!" She gave one of her techs a hard glare. "Besides, you have to stay and watch Buu."

Brolly bristled at the thought of having to watch over Buu. He still had not warmed to Buu even if Bulma and Bra had. He just knew the little alien was trouble. "But..."

"Brolly, do I have to order you to stay here? It can be arranged," Bulma said. She watched the much larger Saiyan slump his shoulders slightly. She smirked and turned away from him. "I'll be back before that big, bad ship gets here. I'll bring Vegeta and we'll settle this whole business and be done with it. For now, I need you to keep an eye on things here. Got it?"

Brolly nodded. "Yes, your majesty."

Bulma boarded her ship minutes later. Eighteen was already waiting for her in the main control room. Bulma sat down next to her friend. "I can't believe you actually wanted to come."

"Well, I've never met half of the Galactic Council. If they're anywhere as bad as you and Vegeta make them seem, I just have to see it. Besides, I'm curious as to what my daughter is up to," Eighteen said.

Bulma smiled. "That's right! I forgot Marron went to Vegeta-sei with Bra!"

The blonde nodded slightly. "I'm fairly certain that Marron went for reasons other than to accompany your daughter."

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked, suddenly intrigued.

"I believe Marron has interest in a certain lavender-haired demi-Saiyan." Eighteen looked at Bulma out of the corner of her narrow eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed it. Every time I tell her you're coming she asks if the king is coming with you. She figures if the king comes, then the prince will as well."

"I see. Well, that should make this visit even more entertaining..."

As the queen and her subordinate traveled through the cosmos, they failed to notice the little ship that had decided to follow them.

* * *

The arena was complete. Fighters from all over the galaxy had begun arriving. With them came representatives from the planets that were a part of the festivities. A lot of second-class soldiers kept the order in the barracks where the contestants were staying. Each contestant had to sign in at the arena and the draw would take place in another the next with the tournament starting the following day.

"So far we have over a hundred fighters. There should be about twenty-five more entering," Trunks said. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Goten. "Well, after we enter they will only be twenty-six spots left."

"Don't you think you should do that?" Vegeta said as he continued watching the dignitaries that had already arrived with narrow eyes. The two boys were standing on either side of him. They could tell the king was annoyed already. "Where is the woman? She should be here already," he murmured mostly to himself.

Trunks looked back at Goten. Then he looked back at his father. "Well, Mom should be here already. She said she was incoming about an hour ago. She should've landed already."

Vegeta glared at his son. "Well, where is she then?"

* * *

Bulma slipped quietly down the steps to her private sauna. The first thing she was going to do before facing any of the politicians that swarmed around her palace was take a relaxing dip in her man-made hot springs. She was also testing a new invention of hers. She took off her robe, revealing the white bikini underneath. Raising her arm, she looked at the metal band on her upper arm. Smirking, Bulma pulled the band off. Then she stepped into the pool.

* * *

Vegeta blinked as Bulma's energy appeared virtually out of nowhere. He immediately began walking towards her energy, leaving his son and Goten alone.

"I guess he's gonna go find Mom." Trunks watched his father leave the crowded throne room. He elbowed Goten in the stomach. "Let's go sign up before our places are stolen."

* * *

Bulma sighed contentedly as she soaked in the warm water. _Why __don__'__t __I __have __one __of __these __on __Earth? __That__'__s __my __next __goal_, she thought with a long sigh. Her serenity was broken when she heard the sound of feet descending the stairs. Mentally rolling her eyes, she knew there was only one person who could bypass her locks.

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" Vegeta asked as he stalked over to the pool. He glared down at her accusingly. Bulma opened one eye and looked up at him. In the dim light all she could really see what his hair blocking the light. "Well?"

"I missed you too, Vegeta." She smiled and floated away from the wall and to the center of the pool. "I just wanted to relax before I have to go play nice with the bad men upstairs. Why don't you come join me?" She beckoned him forward with her right index finger.

Vegeta just watched his wife as she attempted to summon him. "Why are you wearing that thing?" he asked, referring to her bikini.

"Vegeta, just come get in the pool. You look like you could relax as well."

"I'm already dressed, woman." He raised an eyebrow deviously. "It would take a lot less time to get you out of those rags you're wearing."

Bulma frowned and waded over to the edge of the pool. She placed her hands on the edge but stopped before she could hoist herself out. She gazed up at Vegeta, batting her eyelashes. "I'll get out if you do me a favor."

"Woman..." Vegeta had a feeling about what her favor was. "No. It'll alert all the wrong people."

"You can stop that and you know it. You're just being lazy. Come on, Vegeta. If you don't do it, I won't get out, and you'll have to handle the entire Universal Alli..." Bulma stopped talking as the room lit up considerably as Vegeta transformed. Smiling, she almost jumped out of the pool to marvel at his golden aura and appearance. She reached out to touch him and he moved out of her grasp. "Vegeta..."

"Now you have to do me a favor." He moved behind her. "Get out of this thing." He poked her in the side.

Bulma snorted. "You're perfectly capable of taking it off yourself. You have fingers. I _**HOPE**_ they aren't broken." She turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye. She caught a glimpse of his now teal orbs staring at her in a feral way. Bulma turned around completely. "Are you just gonna stare at me?"

Vegeta leaned in towards her so that their noses were almost touching. "Perhaps," he whispered. He started to walk around her. He heard her moan in agitation and smirked as he continued on towards the stairs.

"Vegeta, don't you leave..." Bulma was silenced as she was suddenly against the stone wall of the sauna. She felt tugging at the ties of her bikini top. "Vegeta, what..."

Vegeta placed a finger on her lips. "You told me to take it off, right?"

* * *

Bra quivered as she felt her parents' together. Pushing what horrible, horrible things they might be doing into the back of her mind, she set her sights on the sign-up sheet. Marron stood beside her.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Marron nudged her forward.

Bra glanced around, making sure no one was watching. Then she fazed away from Marron. Three seconds later, she was beside her again. "I signed up. But how will I participate? Daddy didn't want me to sign up. He didn't want me to fight."

"What did you put down as your name?" Marron asked.

"Okashi." Bra looked at Marron as she heard the other girl giggle. "What?"

"Okashi? Really? What are you? A lollipop?" Marron continued to laugh.

Bra shoved her playfully as they turned around to walk away. They both stopped when they saw three beings approaching the sign-up area. They pushed right past the princess and her blonde friend. Marron lost her footing but Bra quickly grabbed her wrist to keep her from falling. She pulled the blonde upright.

"Watch where you're going, wench," one of them grunted at the two.

Bra frowned. "You should watch who you're talking to, jerk," she said loudly.

The three of them turned around and looked at the princess and her friend. A shortest one pushed through the taller two. All Bra and Marron could see were his red eyes through the dark cloak he wore. Both girls stood their ground as he approached them.

"And just why should we?"

Bra simply smirked and crossed her arms. "You never know who you might be talking to," she replied, stepping forward to meet his challenge. Marron grabbed Bra's arm to keep her back. The princess did approach any further, but the alien in front of her opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, a shadow descended upon them.

"Is this stranger bothering you, sis?" Trunks asked as he walked up from Bra's right. Goten was with him. They looked from the princess to the three visitors. "Do we have a problem?"

"Not at all." Bra stepped back. She gave Goten a look before walking off quickly.

Trunks looked at the newcomers. "Are you guys here to sign up for the tournament?" he asked. The short one grunted and turned away from the prince. Trunks narrowed his eyes and turned to Goten. "Goten? Goten!"

Goten snapped back to attention. He'd been watching Marron and Bra walk off. "What? What's going on?" he asked, oblivious to what had just occurred. Trunks rolled his eyes and walked away from him. "What? What did I miss?" Goten tagged after him.

* * *

Bulma entered the throne room where most of the Galactic Council had already gathered. Her husband entered after her, arms folded and looking cross with the world. He maintained a slower pace behind his wife as her dress billowed out behind her. They made it their thrones as the room quieted down. Bulma glanced over at Vegeta. He glared at her as he sat down. She whispered a few death threats at him and then faced the crowd behind her.

"Welcome! I hope you're all finding your accommodations to your liking. The tournament draw is set to begin at midday tomorrow. All one hundred twenty-eight fighters must be present. The day after tomorrow, the first round will begin. All sixty-four matches will be played with the final. Everyone is welcome to watch the matches. I have been asked to remind the fighters that they may _**NOT**_ use energy-based attacks. Until the quarterfinals, this is strictly hand-to-hand. Be advised that the full moon is upon us. It is ill-advised for anyone, Saiyan or otherwise, to be out after dark. Any questions?" Bulma's eyes roamed about the large room. The tone in which she asked the question suggested that she did not want to hear any, so she did not get any. "Good."

Vegeta watched Bulma take a seat next to him. She sat stiffly in the chair with her forearms resting on the sides. As if she felt his eyes on her, she snapped her head towards him. Vegeta just continued to stare at her.

"What?" Bulma asked.

"Nothing." Vegeta looked away from her.

Rolling her eyes, Bulma looked back out at the crowd. She noticed Trunks walking up with Eighteen and Marron. She sat up in her seat and smiled at them. She furrowed her eyebrows when they stopped in front of her. "Where's my daughter?"

Trunks looked at the two blonde women next to him. Then he looked back at his blue-haired mother. "Well, she's been disappearing a lot lately."

"What?" Eighteen asked, looking at Trunks out of the corner of her eye.

"Goten, too. One minute they're next to us and the next they're gone," Marron piped in.

Bulma tapped her finger on her throne. She glared over at her husband again. "Vegeta, do you know where your daughter and Goten are?" she asked.

Vegeta waited a long moment before he answered. "I prefer to be blissfully ignorant of whatever the brat's doing while not in my presence, woman. She knows how to reach me should she find herself in any trouble. As for Kakarrot's spawn, I don't give a damn," he said while avoiding her gaze.

"When you put it like that I'm not entirely sure I want to know." Bulma looked back at Eighteen. "Finding everything all right?"

* * *

In a very secluded and darkened place in the palace, Goten turned a corner only to be slammed into the stone wall. He reflexively grabbed for the hand at the back of his neck and pulled. He swung his assailant into the wall in front of him.

Bra gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. She punched Goten and kneed him in the stomach, making him double over. "You know, it wouldn't do you any good if I were to beat you senseless before you even get to fight in the tournament."

Growling, Goten grabbed Bra around her knees and pulled her legs from underneath her. She landed with a thud on her back, again having the wind knocked out of her. Goten managed to crawl on top of her and pin her arms above her head. Bra squirmed, clearly not liking her new position on the cold stone floor. "Give?" Goten asked, squeezing her wrists. The princess stared up at him. Then she wrapped her legs around his torso and squeezed. Goten's grip loosened on her as she attempted to crack his ribs. Taking the opportunity presented to her, Bra rolled them over and reversed their positions.

"I think I've broken one of your ribs. You might want to consult a healing tank." She kissed his forehead and removed herself from on top of him. Glancing down at her handiwork, she saw that Goten's armor had cracked from her legs. She straightened her torn skirt on her and made sure all jiggly-bits were in place before smiling at him again. "See you later!"

* * *

The night after the draw ceremony, Bulma walked into her daughter's chambers. She went to her bedroom door and knocked softly. It only took a moment for Bra to swing the door open. Bulma looked her daughter over. She looked like she had been in a fight.

"Yeah, Mommy?" Bra asked.

Bulma shook her head, trying to ignore the splotches of discolored skin adorning her daughter's chest, arms, and face. "I made you something." She held out a silver bracelet. Bra picked it and examined it closely. "I made it especially for you."

"If you made it that means it does something. What's it do?" Bra asked, slipping the armband on.

"It'll hide your energy when you fight in the tournament," Bulma said plainly. She almost laughed at Bra's horrified face. The princess shook her head adamantly.

"But, I didn't..."

"_Okashi_?" Bulma watched Bra turn around and stomp over to her bed. She sat down in a huff. Bulma followed her inside. "What's wrong, Bra?"

"I thought that was a clever alias," Bra said. "You won't tell Daddy, will you? He said I'm not allowed to fight in the tournament."

Bulma sat down next to her daughter. "Why do you think I made this band for you?"

"You're letting me fight?" Bra smiled as her mother nodded. "Thank you, Mommy!" She threw her arms around her mother and squeezed, unaware that she was squeezing the life out of Bulma.

"Bra, Mommy needs to breathe," Bulma croaked. Bra let go immediately and mumbled an apology. "I knew Vegeta would never allow you to enter the tournament. I also knew that you wanted to enter it. So I devised a plan to make both parties happy. I created that bracelet just for you. Only wear it while you're fighting."

Bra nodded, slipping the bracelet off. "But, won't Daddy recognize me?"

"Before you go to your match tomorrow, stop by my lab. One of my techs will have something to give to you. You'll also have to make sure to hide your tail really well. It's probably best if you dress in all black; including black boots. And make sure you put your hair up as securely as you can," Bulma said as she stood. "I have to go before your father wonders why half the bed is cold. Oh, and Bra?"

"Hn?" Bra mumbled as she twirled the bracelet in her small hand.

"Do you... like Goten?" Bulma was surprised at how hoarse her voice came out. She looked down at Bra, who was still staring at the bracelet.

"Sure I like him. He's fun to fight with." Bra smirked lazily. "But he's on a pretty long losing streak at the moment."

Bulma relaxed her shoulders. "So, all you two do is spar?"

Bra shrugged. "I wouldn't call it sparring. I could just do that with Trunks or Daddy. What Goten and I do is... different. It's a different kinda fight."

* * *

"What the hell does that mean, Vegeta?" Bulma screeched.

Vegeta shrugged. "Woman, go to sleep. The brat isn't doing anything that isn't normal." He tried to pull her down on the bed. Bulma shrugged him off. Vegeta reached for her again and used a bit more force. Bulma fell back on their bed. She crossed her arms and glowered at Vegeta. "What's wrong with your face?"

Bulma punched Vegeta in the nose. He did not even blink when she did it. Frowning, Bulma shook her aching hand out. "How is even your nose cartilage that hard?" she grumbled.

"It'll take a lot more than that to hurt my nose, woman."

"Whatever, Vegeta. You didn't see what I saw. Bra's covered in bruises that she said she got from fighting with Goten. Then she tells me that it isn't like when she spars with you or Trunks. _It__'__s __a __different __kinda __fight_, she says. What the hell does she mean by that? You know, Vegeta, and you're going to tell me!"

Vegeta stared blandly at Bulma. "They're fighting for dominance."

"Dominance? Like who's stronger? Goten's stronger than her for sure," Bulma said. "Well, I'd root for Bra in the fight, but..."

"You shouldn't _**ROOT**_ for the brat, woman. Besides, once Kakarrot's spawn gets his act together, he'd easily overpower her." Vegeta squeezed his eyes together, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. Hopefully, Bulma would get what he was driving at. Much to his chagrin, she got it but was giggling devilishly about it. "I fail to see the humor in this situation."

Bulma's laughing grew louder before she tried to control it. "So, Goten's objective is to make Bra submit to being _**HIS**_ by showing her who's boss? That's the most animalistic thing I've ever heard about you Saiyans and that's saying something, considering you turn into giant apes. How come you never tried to fight me?"

Vegeta rolled over on top of her. "Because you're a weak, feeble human whose bones I could grind into dust. I dominate you in every aspect without even trying," he said with a mischievous grin. Frowning, Bulma punched his chest. She tried to hide her wince. "See?"

"Shut up, Vegeta. And you don't _**DOMINATE**_ me in every aspect. My brain is far superior to that peanut you have lodged between your ears."

"That may be true, woman. Pity you don't use it when it counts." He rolled off of her and onto his back. "Go to sleep."

Bulma pouted for a moment. She snuggled up next to him. _I __wonder __if __Bra __could __make __it __in to __the __last __eight. __If __she __does __what __would __I __tell __Vegeta? They'll be allowed to use energy attacks at the point_. She raised her head to look at him. His eyes were already closed and his breathing had evened out. Bulma knew he was not asleep, though. _I__'__ll __just __keep __it __a __secret __for __the __time __being. __Besides, __there__'__s __no __one __who __could __possibly __beat __my __kids. __Maybe __it__'__ll __be __an __all-Saiyan __final_. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.


	15. Chapter 15: Disguised

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 15: Disguised**

* * *

Vegeta tapped his foot impatiently as he leaned against the door to his quarters. His wife was bustling around between the bedroom and the living room all while mumbling to herself. Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta let out an annoyed sigh. Bulma turned and glared at him before disappearing back into the bedroom. _What the hell is she doing? We're just going to watch some fights_, he thought while squeezing his fists together. He growled and heard Bulma sigh in return. _Now she's just mocking me_.

"I'll be ready in a minute, your highness. Just let me put on my dress," Bulma called out to him.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vegeta just leaned up off the wall and crossed his arms. He was about to turn and leave without her when Bulma came out of the bedroom. She was sticking some pins in her hair as she walked over to a floor-length mirror. Vegeta just watched her, fascinated by what she was wearing.

Bulma faced Vegeta. "So? What do you think?" she asked with a smile. The dress she wore had a plunging V-neckline and a pleated A-line skirt that brushed the floor. The cape sleeves on the dress also reached the floor. It was adorned with silver beads and paillettes at the waist and on both shoulders. The pins in Bulma's hair matched the beads. It was beautiful dress to say the least. "I'll take your silence as a compliment."

"Hn," Vegeta grunted as she wove her arm around his and walked out of the room with him. "I'll say it is a nice color. It suits you."

Bulma smiled, knowing that _compliment_ was almost like Vegeta saying she was the most beautiful being in the universe. "Well, it _**IS**_ the color of Saiyan royalty. Last time I checked, I _**AM**_ Saiyan royalty," she said. Vegeta could not help but smirk at her words. Bulma was matching his colors; they both wore dark blue. "Try to behave today. I don't want to have to play intergalactic mediator today."

"I won't... _**START**_ fights," Vegeta grumbled. Bulma just chuckled as they got closer to the commotion in the front of the palace. Vegeta frowned as he saw members of the Galactic Council ordering the servants around. He felt Bulma squeeze his arm and then release him. He stopped walking as she approached the group of visitors and servants.

"What seems to be the problem?" Bulma asked as she stopped right behind them. Everyone looked at her. For a moment, all they did was gawk at her. Rolling her eyes, Bulma cleared her throat loudly. The action stirred the servants.

"We were, uh, trying to find some means of transportation for Councilman..."

"... Yaeger." Bulma put on her falsest smile. "There is no need to take a _ride_, councilman. The arena is only just outside the city. Surely it will not kill you to get a little exercise. It's such a beautiful day, too."

Yaeger stared blankly at Bulma before also smiling. "I would, your highness. However, I've been advised not to do too much walking while on this trip. You wouldn't happen to have an encapsulated vehicle of some sort?" he asked.

Bulma's grin spread impossibly wide. "Of course. What kind of hostess would I be if I didn't?" She reached inside her sleeve and tossed Yaeger a silver capsule. "See you at the arena, councilman," she said as Vegeta joined her. She wrapped her arm in his once more and they left the palace.

* * *

"Hold still, princess!" Marron said loudly.

Bra was holding arms out as Marron started to wrap her chest in nude-colored elastic wraps. The princess kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Sorry. I'm just so excited!" She tried not to bounce. "I don't understand why I have to do this, though. What's the point of all this wrapping?"

Marron chuckled as she got to Bra's breasts. "You may not see the point in it now, princess. However, you will be glad I did this. We still have to tape your fingers." She finished the tight wrapping and helped Bra pull up the rest of her hooded bodysuit. That same morning they had cut a bit of Bra's hair, braided the rest, and pinned it down as tight as possible so the hood fit easily over her head. That alone had taken the better part of the morning. Marron put a wide black belt around Bra's waist, concealing her tail. Her eyes traveled to the foot of hair they had cut off. "I don't know how you can just chop off your hair like that."

Bra shrugged. "It's just hair. Besides, it'll just grow back when I got to sleep," she said. She walked over to the vanity and put on the armband her mother had given her the night before. She slipped it up her right arm and looked at Marron. "Mommy said I needed something from her lab. Let's go." The princess pulled Marron out of the room.

* * *

"Armor or no armor?" Trunks asked as he tied his hair back. When he got no answer, he looked over at Goten. Once again, Goten was spacing out. "Vegeta-sei to Goten! Come in, Goten!"

Goten snapped his head towards his best friend. "Sorry, Trunks. I was just... thinking," he said.

Trunks rolled his eyes. "I know. You've been a lot of that lately. You've probably _**THOUGHT**_ more than you have in the past few weeks than you have your whole lifetime."

"That's not fair, Trunks. I do think."

"Sure you do." Trunks held up his armor. "Now should I wear my armor or not?"

Goten shrugged. "Does it matter? I'm not wearing mine. You don't actually think there's anyone down there with enough power to actually hurt us, do you?"

"Of course not; at least not so early in the tournament. We'll save the armor for the final rounds." Trunks tossed his armor to the side. "Come on. We don't wanna be late." He walked out of his room. Goten followed after him, retreating back into his thoughts.

_Bra's energy just disappeared. What happened to her_?

* * *

Marron watched as one of the lab techs placed a strange helmet on Bra's head. It was not bulky but it was larger than a regular hat. There was a visor that covered her eyes. A strap secured it under her chin. Like everything else that she wore, it was black. Bra touched it when the tech finished putting it on her.

"Princess, this should not come off at any time during your matches. However, it is possible for it to break if you take serious damage to your head," the tech said.

"So, this thing will stand up to most attacks?" Bra watched the tech nod. She then looked at herself in a mirror. "Nice."

The tech held out another metal band. "Princess, your mother asked us to give you this as well. It's just like the one on your arm. This is just in case that one somehow breaks."

Marron looked at the band. "It's a lot bigger than the one on Bra's arm. It'll never stay on."

"It doesn't go on her arm. It goes on her leg. May I, your majesty?" The tech pointed to Bra's left leg. She raised her foot and the tech slipped it up to her thigh. He made sure it was tight before stepping away from her. "That's everything, your majesty. We wish you luck." Bra nodded and she left along with Marron.

* * *

Vegeta and Bulma pushed their way through the crowded arena. Or rather, Vegeta was doing the pushing while Bulma followed in his wake. They made it to the elevator that would take them to the suite where they would watch along with the Galactic Council and members of the alliance. Vegeta stepped aside to allow Bulma to enter. When he entered after her, he gave everyone who tried to follow a fierce glower. They stopped before boarding the elevator and the doors slid shut.

Bulma raised an eyebrow after noticing they were alone. "I wonder why no one got on," she said. Shrugging it off, she examined her hair in the mirrored walls of the elevator. She stumbled forward as the elevator stopped somewhere between the third and fourth floors. "Vegeta, what are you..."

"Quiet, woman." Vegeta stepped away from the panel after pressing the emergency stop. He approached his wife as he slowly removed his gloves, a devious glint in his eye.

Not trusting the look in her husband's eye, Bulma backed up into the wall. "Why'd you stop the elevator? There are plenty of people who need to use it," she said as he continued to approach her. Pretty soon he was leaning over her as she pressed against the wall.

"For the same reason that I allowed no one to board this stupid box with us." Vegeta leaned down to her. "Now hush. We wouldn't want them waiting too long, would we?"

Bulma tried to push him away feebly. "Vegeta, we can't do this right now. What if someone comes in here? What if they send some soldiers to see if something was wrong with the elevator?" she asked hurriedly as he lifted her dress. She fought with his hands to keep it down.

"Woman, I am the most powerful being on this planet. You claim to be the most intelligent. My army is smart enough to know that between the both of us that this ridiculous metal box couldn't trap us in here. They know if it has stopped it is because I wanted it to. They aren't foolish enough to think otherwise." Vegeta went back to nipping at her neck.

"Good point," Bulma mumbled as Vegeta's fingers roamed beneath her dress. "But why now? If I'd known you were this intent on getting..." She gasped as Vegeta reached a... soft spot with his fingers.

"Stop talking, woman."

* * *

Trunks and Goten roamed around the large room just below the main stadium. Most of the contestants were milling about, waiting their turn. Alien races of all sorts wandered around while socializing and scoping out the competition. Trunks and Goten walked over to the main wall to see the draw.

"Sucks that we're on two different sides," Goten said.

Trunks rolled his eyes. "That's actually a good thing, Goten. That way the only we could fight is if we meet in the finals. I wouldn't want to kick your ass before then anyway," he said, wearing the smirk of his father.

"Sure you would, your majesty," Goten said as someone dressed in all black stumbled into them from the crowd. Both he and Trunks looked down at the shorter being. They were very petite and wore some sort of small helmet that shielded their eyes. The alien let out a small gasp before hurriedly walking away.

Trunks raised an eyebrow as the little fighter scurried off. "Wonder who that was..."

* * *

Bra exhaled as she got a safe distance from her brother and Goten. _Whew! That was too close for comfort. Luckily they didn't recognize me. Pretty sure Trunks would've gone straight to Daddy, the jerk_, she thought as she sat down against the wall. _Nothing to do but wait for my turn_.

* * *

Vegeta and Bulma finally stepped out of the elevator and into the suite designated for royalty and their guests. Bulma had given up on trying to fix her hair and just took it down. She managed to use the pins to keep it off her face. She sat down in her chair with a pout on her face. Vegeta moved at a much more leisurely pace. He still had that self-righteous smirk on his face.

"Your pouting means nothing to me, woman," Vegeta said.

Bulma glared at him. "Piss off, Vegeta. I'm pretty sure everyone with ears heard what just happened in that elevator. Anyone with even a human's sense of smell will be able to smell it."

"If memory serves, you were the one making all the noise. Woman, how many times have we had... relations in less than ideal places?" Vegeta's frown deepened for a moment. "Actually, I don't think they were less than ideal. They suited my needs just fine..."

"You're such a horny bastard, Vegeta. Look at my hair!" Bulma gestured to the fluffy curls that had once been in an elaborate up-do. "It's completely ruined!" She crossed her arms and sank low in her seat.

Vegeta sighed. "Fix your face, woman. You're hair's no more hideous than it usually is." He looked away from her and out at the rapidly filling stadium. Bulma glanced back at him for a moment. Then she followed his example, a small smile coming to her face.

Soon, the king and queen were joined by the others. Eighteen sat next to Bulma and Marron sat next to her. There was a seat reserved for Bra, but the teenager was not present. Eighteen seemed to notice this as the suite began to fill more and more.

"Your majesty?"

"Hm?" Bulma asked as she watched the fights below them.

"Where is the princess? I know the prince is participating in the tournament," Eighteen asked.

Bulma looked away just as one of the contestants was named the winner by way of knockout. "Oh, Bra's doing her lessons. Vegeta wants her to learn _Saiyago_. She'll join us shortly," she lied.

_Well, it's partially a lie. Vegeta does want Bra to learn the language and she is taking lessons. She's just not doing it at this moment_, she rationalized. She watched Eighteen nod slowly before looking on as the next fight was set to begin. _It's Trunks_!

* * *

Trunks entered the large arena from the underground tunnel. He received a very warm welcome. His opponent entered the arena from the other side. It was a humanoid being, the only difference being the orange skin and another pair of eyes. From what he heard, this being was what they called a Florien. They were average to moderately strong fighters.

_This should be fun_, the prince thought as he cracked his knuckles.

* * *

Bulma leaned forward as the bell sounded. Vegeta counted down in his head. The crowd erupted into applause a few seconds later. Bulma sat back in her seat and looked at Vegeta.

"A whole five seconds. The boy is slacking off," Vegeta said plainly.

"Well, if all of Trunks' fights will be like that it won't be any fun." Bulma crossed her arms. "There's got to be someone out there who could give Trunks a run for his money. Besides Goten, of course."

Vegeta snorted. "Of course there is, woman. But the first few rounds are usually just to weed out the weaklings. The boy should find a decent match soon enough."

Bulma mock pouted. "Well, that's no fun. I could be working on something in my lab if all the fights are going to be one-hit KOs." She smiled as she saw Vegeta fight to keep from rolling his eyes.

* * *

Trunks wiped a stray lock of hair from his face as he looked down at his opponent. He had held back a lot on the punch, wanting to at least prolong the fight somewhat. Being able to sense another's destructive potential was a bonus for him. That was how he knew to take it easy on his opponent. Apparently, even with that advantage he'd misjudged his own strength and ended up laying his opponent out with a single punch.

The prince went back to the underground tunnel where Goten was waiting for him with a goofy smile on his face. "What are you looking at?" Trunks pushed past him. Goten followed, not saying anything more.

To pass the time, Bra had started writing different words in the dust on the floor. If she was not going to be at lessons, she could at least practice making sentences with the proper grammar. After all, there was no telling when her father would suddenly speak to her in _Saiyago_ and demand that she respond the same way. _I don't understand how Daddy manages to remember all of this and still be able to speak other languages_, she thought as she erased her mistakes in the dust.

"_**OKASHI AND PEI, REPORT TO THE TUNNEL!**_"

Bra stood up and hurriedly dust herself off. She ran towards the tunnel. She did not notice that she passed Goten and Trunks and just pushed her way right by them. Her adrenaline was already running high from the anticipation.

Goten paused for a moment as a small person in black practically flew past him. A familiar scent lingered around him. He shook his head. _I wish the moon would hurry up and pass so that I can stop smelling every little thing. It's driving my senses mad_, he thought.

"Goten, I'm going to go see my parents," Trunks called from in front of the demi-Saiyan. "You coming?"

"Yeah," Goten said quietly. He shook off his odd feelings and followed Trunks out of the underground waiting room.

* * *

Bra stood across from a being that was at least two feet taller than her. Red skin and one eye were some defining characteristics. He also wore an assortment of chains. While Bra was assessing her opponent, she missed the bell ringing. She only had time to blink before her opponent, Pei, attacked.

_He's fast_, Bra observed as she grabbed Pei's outstretched arm from her position in the air. She grabbed his other arm and pulled them back together. Pei managed to kick his feet up and back at Bra. She leaned back, forced to release Pei. She landed on her feet with practiced agility.

* * *

Vegeta frowned as he watched the fight below. _This Okashi has a style similar to my own, if not somewhat feminine_, he mused. Due to his size, Vegeta prided himself on being more agile and faster than his opponent. His style relied more on precision and dexterity rather than brute strength. It was a self-taught style, not a learned style. Only one other would have a style even remotely similar to his own.

"Bra," Vegeta whispered.

"What's that about Bra, my king?" Bulma asked absentmindedly. Bra's opponent seemed to be of a much higher caliber than Trunks and Goten's first round opponents. Bra definitely did not have it easy. Bulma was getting a little worried for her daughter's safety.

Vegeta looked over at his wife as Trunks and Goten walked in. Trunks took the seat next to him and Goten sat next to Trunks. Both boys immediately turned to face the fight going on below. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at Bulma before looking back down at the two fighters.

* * *

Bra slid back in the dirt. She had not expected such a tough opponent in the first round. So far, this was the longest fight of the day. Pei was definitely stronger than her. As with most of her opponents, Bra was faster and more flexible than him. Spitting saliva to the side, Bra watched Pei charge her. At the last possible moment, she side-stepped him and hit him as hard as she could on the side of his neck. By the time Pei hit the ground, he was unconscious.

The princess-in-disguise stepped away from her fallen opponent as the referee ran in to see if Pei was still conscious. It was only a few seconds later when _Okashi_ was declared the winner of the first round match.

* * *

Bulma tried not to act too happy that Bra won her match. She simply smiled and clapped. Marron followed her example. Both of them snuck glances at the king, who seemed to be in deep thought. Marron quickly excused herself and Bulma started to talk to some other luminaries.

"That Okashi person is in your half, Goten. According to the draw, you could meet in the semis. I think they could give you a run for your money," Trunks said, elbowing Goten in the arm.

Goten scoffed. "I doubt it," he said.

* * *

Bra made it back to the palace in record time. Before she even got to her quarters she began stripping. Once she was there she immediately took off the metal bands and the helmet. She stepped out of the bodysuit as she entered her bedroom. She then looked down at the body wrap. It had nullified most of the attacks to her side. She was not as bruised as she might have been without it.

_I guess Marron was right_, she thought as she began unraveling it.

Marron burst into the room ten minutes later. Bra had already pulled on her dress and was attempting to do her hair. Marron sighed and zipped the princess up. She snatched the brush from her and began to whip Bra's hair into shape.

"So, did anyone recognize me?" Bra asked.

"Other than your mother, no. It looks like you'll live to see another..."

Before Marron even finished her sentence, Vegeta charged into the princess' quarters unannounced. Bra leaned over to see him heading towards her room. In three strides, he was inside the room and glaring down at his daughter. Bra cursed mentally. The evidence of her misdeeds was strewn across her room. There would be no talking her way out of this one. She doubted even her best wounded puppy look would do the trick. Her father was beyond livid.

Vegeta crossed his arms as he faced his daughter and her quivering friend. "Did you think I wouldn't notice? Did you think I would be so simple as to not know my own offspring's technique?"

_Shit! I forgot all about that_! Bra mentally face-palmed. As much as her father watched her during her kata, he probably knew her style better than even she did. He would be able to spot it from a mile away.

"You can't blame me for trying. You would never let me enter the tournament, so I took matters into my own hands," Bra answered plainly, neither her face nor her voice betraying the slight fear she had at the moment.

"I see." Vegeta glared at Marron. "You had a hand in this?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, your majesty," Marron replied.

The king turned his dark gaze back to his daughter. She was looking down at the floor sullenly. "Fine."

Bra's eyes widened. "What?"

"You may continue in the tournament. However, the next time you disobey me I will not be so generous," Vegeta said.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Bra jumped up and threw her arms around her father. She heard him growl and released him, instead planting a kiss on his cheek and ran out of the room. Marron curtsied to Vegeta and scurried off after Bra.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. _I'm becoming way too soft_, he thought darkly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Before turning to leave, he noticed a bright light peering through Bra's terrace doors. He walked towards them and pulled the curtains out of the way. _What the hell_?

There are usually only three celestial bodies in the sky of Vegeta-sei. It has never exceeded that number; a moon and two suns. At the moment, there was a fourth. It was almost as bright as one of the suns. After staring at it for a moment, Vegeta turned and left his daughter's room.

* * *

"Queen Bulma, I have seen pretty much all of your estate. However, one can't help but notice that something is missing," Chancellor Cregg said as he walked beside the queen. They were headed back to the palace.

"Oh? What might that be, chancellor?" Bulma asked.

"Your mini-clone has been absent from these events. Is she back on Earth?" he asked.

Bulma smiled. _That's right. No one outside of the empire knows of Bra's mysterious growth spurt. This ought to be fun_, she thought.

"She's... around, chancellor. My daughter is probably still doing her lessons in _Saiyago_."

"_Saiyago_? The Saiyan language? Why would you have her learn a language which is rarely used?"

Bulma shuddered. Eighteen looked at her queen and then back at the person who asked the question: Yaeger. "The princess must learn the language of the people she is in line to rule over. It is only right that she know everything about her heritage, whether it be Saiyan or human. Any more impertinent questions, Councilman Yaeger?"

Yaeger bristled at the cold glare Eighteen gave him. "That is all for now, delegate."

"Thanks," Bulma whispered to Eighteen as they stepped inside the castle. Before Bulma got more than three feet inside the door, she was almost trampled by a blur of blue and gray. Luckily, the princess had enough control to not knock her mother over. Instead she just clung to her in a tight hug. "Bra, what's wrong?" Bulma tried to pry her daughter off of her.

_Stupid Saiyan strength. This wouldn't be so hard if she wasn't practically superhuman_, Bulma thought, giving up on getting Bra off of her.

"Daddy found out!" Bra yelped.

That made the color drain from Bulma's face. She looked around the large foyer, searching for her husband. "Well, what did he say?"

Bra raised her head to look at her mother with a large smile on her face. "He said it was fine but," she scrunched her face up, "_the next time I disobey him he will not be so generous_," she said in her best Vegeta impression.

Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. That was certainly unexpected, but she would no doubt face Vegeta's ire later on. Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she noticed everyone staring at her daughter. _Might as well get this over with_.

"Chancellor, here is my mini-clone. She has grown somewhat since the last time you saw her," Bulma said, pulling Bra around to face the rest of the council. "What do you say, Bra?" she whispered.

Bra looked at her mother. Then she stepped forward. "Um, good evening," she said with a slight nod. Everyone still seemed shocked to see her standing there, almost fully grown. The princess stepped back, knocking into a solid chest. She turned her head and saw her father standing behind her.

"A word, woman," Vegeta said. He did not make it a request. He simply took Bulma's hand and led her off quickly.

Eighteen watched the king and queen go. Sighing, she looked back at the council. "Follow me, everyone." She headed for the dining hall.

Vegeta took Bulma to the observatory past the greenhouse. Without telling her why they were there, he brought her to the large telescope and made her look into it.

"Vegeta, I swear if this is..." Bulma trailed off as she stared into the lens. "What is that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me, woman. I noticed it from the brat's room. It hasn't been there all day. I would've noticed something like that. Is it a meteor?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma shook her head as she adjusted the lens. "No. It's not moving. From what I'm seeing, it doesn't even look like an asteroid. Plus, asteroids don't give off their own light. I need to get to the lab to examine this thing further. Do you sense anything from it? Any type of life?" she asked.

Vegeta shook his head. "Not at all. If it wasn't for the abnormal light coming from it, I probably would've never even noticed it."

"I see." Bulma sat back in the seat. "How did you know it was Bra?" she asked after a moment.

"Woman, you may be able to mask her power or disguise her body, but you can't change the fact that she is _**MY**_ daughter and that she learned her basic stances from _**ME**_. The brat gave herself away by simply fighting," Vegeta said.

"You could tell it was Bra just by seeing her fight?" Bulma asked, looking amazed. Vegeta nodded. "How?"

"The brat's style is similar to my own mainly because I taught her the basics. Her technique is just a more... feminine approach to mine. I'm surprised the boy and his idiot friend didn't pick up on it."

Bulma shrugged. "Should we tell them that Bra's entered? Or should we leave it a secret?"

Vegeta glanced down at Bulma. "Secret."


	16. Chapter 16: Uninvited Guest

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 16: Uninvited Guest**

* * *

Bulma's eyes fluttered open as the crisp air from the open balcony door touched her face. She shifted her eyes to see her husband's form through the billowing drapes leading to the balcony. Bulma slowly sat up. She gathered up the sheets around her and got out of the bed. She silently trekked towards the balcony and peered outside.

Vegeta stood on the balcony in all his naked glory, staring up at the sky. The night was cloudy and there was very little light afforded to them. Vegeta-sei's moon was barely visible through the thick cloud cover. What was visible was the large object that had been hovering just outside Vegeta-sei's atmosphere. Even through the thick clouds over Venova it could be seen.

Bulma crept up behind her king and placed her hands on his tense shoulders. He relaxed somewhat at her touch as she leaned against him. In his true protective fashion, Vegeta's tail snaked around her right wrist. She smiled lightly and followed his gaze up to the sky.

"Woman, you shouldn't be out here in that condition," Vegeta said suddenly.

"Says the man standing on a balcony naked as the day he was born," Bulma retorted.

Vegeta grunted. "My body temperature rarely changes. However, your frail body is already feeling the effects of the wind. That flimsy sheet will not keep you warm." He watched as Bulma walked around him. She snuggled up into his chest as she pulled the sheets tighter around her. Frowning at her, Vegeta wrapped an arm around her. He saw her smirk in victory and rolled his eyes. "Silly woman."

"You love this silly woman." Bulma raised her head to look at the sky again. "I still can't get anything on it. No signs of life or intent. It could just be a mass of some sort of rock. I won't know until it falls to the planet. If it is just a piece of rock, then that should have happened days ago due to Vegeta-sei's gravitational pull. I hate to admit it, but I'm completely stumped on this one."

Vegeta grunted and looked back up at the offending object in the sky. It was disconcerting to know that even his wife was confused as to what the mass was. When the smartest woman in the known universe had no knowledge of something it could never be anything remotely good. Bulma always had an answer for something. _I'm seriously considering just blasting it out of the sky and being done with it_, he thought.

"And you will not be blasting it out of the sky. You don't know what could happen. Until I conduct more studies, no one is allowed to go near it. That thing could be radioactive for all we know."

_Blasted woman_! Vegeta snarled at his wife's correct assumption of his course of thinking.

"Then what do you suggest we do, woman? Wait until something awful happens? It's been there for over a week now."

Bulma sighed as she sensed the impatience emanating off Vegeta's body. She placed a hand on his chest, causing him to calm down a bit. He still remained somewhat stiff, though. "Just give me a little more time, Vegeta. I'm bound to get a breakthrough somehow. Come back to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

Vegeta watched Bulma walk around him to go back inside. He glared up at the object once more. He took a hesitant step back before turning and following Bulma back inside. By the time he returned to bed, she was already asleep again. Shaking his head, Vegeta laid down. The second he was comfortable, Bulma turned and put her head on his chest. Although he was tempted to shove her back to her side of the bed, he did not. Instead, he stared curiously at her body for a moment. He narrowed his eyes a moment before relaxing back on his pillow and following her into slumber.

* * *

"Someone named... Ginger." Trunks scratched his head as he looked at the card of his next opponent. "Strange name," he said.

Goten scoffed. "You're definitely one to talk about strange names," he said.

Trunks tossed his armor at the Goten, hitting him on the head. The younger teenager turned and looked at his friend. "Trunks is just a nickname, idiot. My name is actually Vegeta."

"Really?" Goten looked puzzled as he picked up Trunks' armor. "I always assumed your mom broke tradition, being a human and all."

The prince deadpanned. "You seriously thought my actual name was Trunks?" He watched Goten nod sheepishly. "You really are an idiot, Goten. Who's your next opponent?"

Goten took out the card of his next opponent. "Looks like I'm fighting Sansho. Says he's a Makyan."

"A Makyan?" Trunks glanced back at his card. "So is this Ginger guy. We only have two matches before we get to the final," he said with a smirk.

"You just assume we'll get to the final?"

"Of course. Who else is left that could possibly beat us?"

Goten appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that Okashi person still seems pretty strong. Aside from that first round, they've been making short work of their opponents up until this point. I still can't tell if it's a guy or a girl."

Trunks simply grunted as he stood. He snatched his armor from Goten as he walked past to lip it on. "Well, today we start fighting in the pocket dimension. Better get down there to make sure everything is set up right."

* * *

Bra walked towards the stadium, reading the card of her next opponent. "So, a Makyan named Nicky is my quarterfinal opponent. This guy doesn't sound too tough." She pocketed the card and continued her trek to the stadium. Since her first round, she had barely been tested. She had been coasting just like her brother and his friend. So far, they had yet to figure out it was her.

_If I win this match and Goten wins his next match, we'll fight in the semifinal_, Bra mused with a smile. _I hope he wins his match. It'd be wonderful to kick his ass in public_! She picked up the pace and started running through the streets of Venova to the stadium. She barely noticed all the attention she was drawing from the male Saiyans she passed. Since she was in disguise, they did not realize it was the princess they were gawking at.

* * *

"Care to explain how these _pocket dimensions_ work, your majesty?" Chancellor Cregg asked Bulma.

She smiled at him warmly. "Of course, chancellor. The machine down there simply creates a small dimension inside our own dimension. The quarterfinalists will go into it. Inside will be a terrain different from this where they can battle freely. We'll be able to watch on the screens here," she explained.

"I see. There is no chance of them getting locked inside such a thing?"

"There is a failsafe in place for that. Should it get too heated inside there, they can be pulled out of the dimension immediately and back to this plane. Otherwise, they can remain in the dimension as long as necessary to finish the battle," the queen said as the first two contestants came out. "Well it looks as if we're about to get started."

* * *

Vegeta was down on the main floor of the arena. The two contestants approached the king and the referee. One dwarfed the king by about at least two feet. From his facial expression alone, Vegeta could tell that this one wasn't the sharpest tack in the box. The behemoth's opponent was closer to the king's height and red-skinned. The look he wore was one of arrogance. Vegeta's frown deepened at the sight of the pretty boy's haughtiness. Going by each of their power levels, the shorter one was clearly out of his league. However, the bigger one was powerful enough to give even his son a run for his money.

_Odd that I haven't noticed him before. I expect this to be a quick one_, the king thought.

The referee stepped up beside Vegeta and began explaining the details of how the match would work. Vegeta tuned him out and glanced up at the royal box. Bulma was talking with some dignitaries. She seemed happy enough as she laughed with them. With his keen vision, Vegeta noticed a few others talking in hushed tones behind his wife. His eyes narrowed minutely for a moment before tuning back in.

"Is there anything you have to say before King Vegeta chooses your battle zone?" the referee asked.

"Yeah. Is there a chance that this new _battle zone_ will be dusty? I can't afford to get anything in my hair. It takes far too long to wash," the shorter one named Jeice asked.

Vegeta and the others glared at him. He ignored the impertinent question and walked over to the machine that would send the fighters into the new dimension. He fiddled with the settings and then faced the others again. He then pushed the button that turned the generator on.

* * *

Underground, Goten watched the mysterious Okashi stretch across the room. There was something about the way they moved that made him curious. It seemed so familiar. He could not place where he had seen such movements. His train of thought was altered as Trunks clapped a hand down on his right shoulder. He winced slightly and rolled it forward.

"What's wrong? Bra give you some more love taps?" Trunks asked with a sly grin.

Goten blushed profusely and shook his head while rubbing his shoulder. "No! She just... caught me off guard. That's all."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Sure she did. You should stop fighting her or I might have to cause you bodily harm," he said.

"It's not like I pick the fights." Goten went back to watching Okashi stretch. "She always wants to fight me."

"Yeah, well, you better not hurt her."

* * *

Bra could hear her brother and Goten talking not too far from her. She sighed and shook her head when she heard Trunks' protective threat to Goten. _Goten would never hurt me for real. He barely fights me at full strength. If we both win our matches, he'll be forced to fight me for real if he wants to win. I'm definitely not going to go easy on him_, she reflected.

"Prince Trunks! Ginger! You two are up next!" someone from the front of the tunnel yelled.

Bra turned to see her brother heading for the front. She squinted her eyes as she saw his opponent. It was one of the aliens who had nearly trampled her and Marron just a week prior. It was the short one of the trio. _His name is Ginger? What an odd name_... She sighed as her brother disappeared up into the arena.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Queen Bulma."

Bulma turned her head. The tiny alien known as Garlic was standing beside her. She blinked as she recognized him and then smiled a bit. "Garlic! I hardly expected you to attend the tournament. Come to watch this pointless spectacle, have you?" she asked.

Garlic simply smirked. "Well, I do have investments in this contest."

"Oh?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "What kind of investments?"

"Three of the quarterfinalists were sent by me. I believe one of them is fighting your son," the little blue alien said.

The queen appeared mildly shocked for a moment. She glanced back down at the floor of the arena and saw her son entering with a shorter, green-skinned alien. He was introduced as Ginger. Bulma turned to Garlic again and smiled. "May the best man win," she said.

Garlic nodded towards her. "I expect he will."

* * *

Trunks found himself inside a cold, wintery dimension. Cold weather was definitely his least favorite climate. Due to his Saiyan genes, it would not affect him as much as it would a normal human. That did not mean he had to like it, though. As he examined his surroundings, Trunks lost sight of his opponent. Once he turned to face where he thought Ginger was, he was decked in the jaw and sent flying into a mound of snow.

_Damnit! Fucker caught me off guard_. The prince pulled himself out of the snow just in time to dodge Ginger's next attack. He immediately was put on the defensive. Being on the defensive was never Trunks' strong point. He was used to dominating his battles. Trunks finally managed to get one solid hit in, knocking Ginger back several feet. _This could possibly be a long day_. Trunks inwardly sighed.

* * *

Vegeta watched his son from a monitor. While he was by no means unskilled, Trunks was quite lazy when it came to fighting. He usually could afford to get away with it simply because he was always so much stronger than his opponents. However, this _Ginger_ seemed to have him pegged. Although Trunks' technique had improved greatly since he'd been sent to Hadrian 9 (thanks mostly to Denni), he still got sluggish more often than not. From what Vegeta could tell, Trunks was stronger than Ginger, but Ginger was using tactics to outsmart his son.

_As usual, the boy isn't thinking. I suppose I'll have to beat it into him to use his brain when he fights. The brat takes better care to use strategy in a battle. It isn't like the boy isn't capable of using his brain. He does have the woman's mind, after all_.Vegeta was already annoyed with this battle.

* * *

It finally appeared that Trunks had gotten the upper hand in the fight. He had Ginger on his heels. His opponent managed to get away by taking to the air. Trunks watched him for a moment, pondering on whether or not to follow. Instead of doing so, he simply raised one hand.

"Running from me won't do you any good!" Trunks yelled. He released a small, but fast and powerful blast. Ginger barely dodged it to the left, but Trunks was ready. He phased behind Ginger and put him in a blood chokehold. "You can either give or you can pass out. The choice is yours."

Ginger chuckled hoarsely. "You are far too cocky, prince."

Trunks blinked as he saw something shiny flash in his left peripheral vision. He barely missed having his left arm lopped off. He backed away from Ginger in the air. His eyes widened when he noticed that Ginger was now holding a scimitar in one hand. "Weapons aren't allowed," Trunks said coldly.

"Oh? I don't recall it being in the rules that I couldn't use something that comes from my own body," Ginger said with a smile. He held out his right arm and another scimitar came from it. He now held two bladed weapons.

* * *

"Isn't that against the rules, sire?" the referee asked Vegeta.

The king shook his head. "It is fair game because the blades are made of his body. It's almost as if he's using an energy blade," Vegeta said. The referee appeared confused for a moment, but said nothing else on the matter.

_Bladed weapons shouldn't affect the boy in any way. At least, not if he thinks_.

* * *

Trunks watched Ginger with narrowed blue eyes. The red-eyed being phased out of sight. Smirking, Trunks reached out behind him, grabbing hold of Ginger's left arm. He twisted Ginger's arm violently, causing Ginger to drop one of the scimitars. Ginger swung with his right arm simultaneously and succeeded in cutting Trunks' side. The prince winced, but did not release Ginger. Instead, he kneed him and kicked him, sending Ginger to the snow-covered ground.

The prince examined his side. The cut was not deep, but it was a minor hindrance to his movement. He could easily fight through the pain, but the end result probably would not be too good. With his frown deepening, Trunks started flying head on into the crater Ginger's body had created from the impact. He barely dodged the big pink blast coming towards him. He turned back around immediately.

Then everything stopped.

* * *

Bulma put a hand to her chest as she gasped at what she saw. Trunks had barely managed to put his arm up in time to avoid being stabbed in the gut. She watched her son push Ginger away and then send him flying back with a vicious blow that would make even Vegeta proud. The queen relaxed back in her seat when Trunks was declared the winner moments later. She looked over at Garlic to see him clapping for the prince.

"I'd say the best man won this time, your majesty."

Bulma could only nod numbly. _I'm not cut out for watching this type of thing. I'll probably have a heart attack when Bra comes out_.

* * *

After a brief intermission, Vegeta noticed who was next on the card: his daughter. He knew by now that she was practically chomping at the bit to get out there and fight again. From what he knew, her opponent was of the same race as Ginger. _I wonder if he also has the same abilities_.

* * *

Bra cracked her knuckles as she looked around her new surroundings; a barren wasteland. She then looked at her opponent. He was also one of the three who pushed her and Marron the week before. Of course, he had no idea who she was at the moment. Her attire still hid her identity.

"So, I guess we get to it," Nicky said. He sounded almost drunk. His eyes were droopy and he looked way too happy to be completely sober. "I guess I won't waste any time."

Beneath her helmet, Bra raised an eyebrow. She watched Nicky take hold of one of the protruding spikes on his leg. She watched with mild interest as he did something similar to what Ginger had done. Instead of a scimitar, Nicky pulled a sword completely out of his leg. He wielded it easily while smiling at Bra. She took a step back to prepare herself. Before she could readily defend herself, Nicky had moved past her.

* * *

The color drained from Bulma's face as she saw the blood. Bra had slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely. The queen was squeezing the armrests of her chair so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. She just sat, watching her daughter lay on the ground, feeling powerless to do anything about it.

Vegeta was no better off. Aside from his somewhat fluctuating energy, he looked as cool as a cucumber. He knew his daughter was not nearly hurt enough to stay down. However, seeing her blood was another thing entirely. His frown simply deepened as he waited for the princess to stand.

* * *

Bra stared up at the sky. The cut she had just acquired was pretty deep; possibly even life-threatening if she did not receive proper treatment soon. She blinked a few times, gathering her thoughts and formulating a plan to finish the fight quickly.

Nicky scratched his head. "Well, I guess I acted too soon. I was hoping for more of a challenge."

"Shut up," the princess grumbled as she sat up. She made it to her feet and faced Nicky. He seemed genuinely surprised that she was up. He could tell that she was losing a lot of blood and she would only last so long before she passed out. All he had to do was prolong the fight.

Bra straightened her back, pulling herself up to her full height. She took a deep breath, putting the pain of the gash in her side to the back of her mind. She focused on Nicky. He attacked her again. This time, Bra was ready. She began dodging all his strikes. When his arm was outstretched, she ducked under him, moved around him, and kicked him in the back of his head. As Nicky slid face-first on the dusty ground, he dropped his sword. Bra moved over to it and picked it up. She bent it and tossed it to the side.

* * *

Bulma breathed easier as she saw Bra begin to fight in earnest. The princess was still favoring her side though. Bulma did not know the condition of such a cut, but she knew it could not be good if even she could notice the way Bra's movement was hindered.

"Nicky is also a Makyan," Garlic said from beside her.

The queen turned her head to look at him. "Really?" She watched Garlic nod smugly. "I see. I did not realize your race was a warrior race."

"My race is many things, but we are never anything exclusive. Saiyans are warriors. Humans are industrialists. Makyans are... opportunists," Garlic said. They both flinched as they saw Nicky slam into the ground again. "I'm intrigued by this Okashi person. Have you seen them outside of the ring, Queen Bulma?"

"Not at all," Bulma answered with a shake of her head. She saw Bra land back on the ground in the pocket dimension. Her opponent seemed to be out for the count. After a 10-count, the princess was declared the winner. The queen let loose a small sigh of relief as both Bra and Nicky returned from their little dimension. Out of the corner of her eye, Bulma saw Marron excuse herself.

* * *

Bra barely managed to stay conscious as she made it to the healing tanks in the palace's infirmary. The place was nearly deserted save for a few human nurses. She waved off their help as she opened a tank to step in. She lost consciousness just as the door slid open for her to enter.

Marron caught the princess before she could crack her skull open on the side of the tank. "You don't look like you weigh this much, princess," she teased. She heard Bra mumble something groggily as she practically stuffed the smaller girl in the tank. She placed an oxygen mask on Bra's face, shut the door, and started the tank up. Soon it was filled with the green healing liquid.

* * *

"She cannot fight him, Vegeta," Bulma said as she paced the living area in their quarters. "He doesn't even know it's actually her. He's going to try to win at all costs in order to fight Trunks."

"Woman, the boy hasn't made the final yet," Vegeta said, folding his arms across his chest.

Bulma sighed and continued her pacing. "I'm speaking hypothetically, Vegeta." She paused and glanced at her husband. "What about her? Do you think she wants to go through with this?" She started pacing again.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, looking as if his wife had asked him if the sky was red. "Of course she wants to fight him. The brat is all about kicking Kakarrot's spawn's ass up and down some fake terrain. I don't see what the big deal is."

"You're completely missing the point in this, Vegeta! She's not as strong as Goten. Goten doesn't know it's her so he won't know to..." Bulma paused and faced Vegeta. "He won't hold back."

"That's exactly why she wants this fight to happen, woman."

Before Bulma could say anything else on the matter, a loud knock came at their door. She watched Vegeta pass her to answer it. A messenger said a few words and left the two as quickly as he had come. Bulma watched Vegeta shut the door. His expression had greatly changed. The queen fiddled with her hands. Whatever Vegeta was told had him bothered enough to drop his countenance for a moment.

"It seems we have a new guest," the king said. He headed for the balcony in the living room. Throwing the doors open, he looked up at the sky. He frowned at what he saw.

The giant metallic rock was gone.

* * *

Bra made sure her dress was on straight as she hurried down the halls of the palace. She was late for dinner. Eighteen had told her earlier that someone wanted to meet her. _Probably just some suitor they keep trying to put me with_, she thought. _I don't wanna marry some foreign alien I've never met. UGH! I would kill to be a boy right about now_.

During her musings, Bra failed to notice how quiet it had gotten along the corridors. What did catch her attention was the faint scent of blood. She looked around her and found nothing that would give off such a smell. Bra wrinkled her nose and continued her walk to the dining hall.

As she passed a corridor perpendicular to the one she was walking on, something long and thick wrapped around her waist. Before Bra could utter a sound, a cold hand clamped over her mouth and she was shoved against the wall. In response to being held against her will, Bra did what any sane person would do. She fought back.

"You'll only make this worse on yourself, princess. I only want to talk," a cold voice said.

Bra's eyes widened. She knew that voice. It was a vague memory, but she knew who it belonged to nonetheless. She narrowed her eyes and ceased struggling.

* * *

Bulma tried not to stare at the person who stood before her. In fact, it was actually quite hard to stare for an extended period of time. The problem was that one could not help but to stare, if anything out of shock and curiosity. _I don't think I understand what I'm seeing right now_, she thought. She looked over at her husband, who seemed troubled by something other than the person who stood before him.

"It's good to see you again, queen."

Bulma looked back at her new guest. "I don't think I can rightly say the same about you, Cooler," she said coldly.

Cooler simply smirked. "And why not? Why don't I get a warm welcome?"

"You manhandled me and then you tried to get my daughter sent to a galactic prison; my _**SIX-YEAR-OLD**_ daughter. I think I have a pretty good reason not to want to be within five feet of you," the queen said snidely.

"So much venom in your words, your majesty. I certainly hold no grudges. After all, your daughter is why I look like this," Cooler said, holding his arms out.

Bulma frowned and examined him once again. She was not sure, but Cooler seemed to be covered in some sort of metallic substance. He was almost giving off his own light. It almost reminded her of the giant rock that had until recently been floating around in space. She tore her eyes away from Cooler and chanced a glance at Vegeta. He still seemed somewhat preoccupied with something. She knew Cooler would never try something with Vegeta standing right in front of him. Besides, the majority of the Galactic Council and Universal Alliance were all seated around them. Bulma did see that Yaeger seemed to be enjoying the position she found herself in.

_The prick_...

* * *

"What do you want with me?" Bra asked loudly.

"Quiet down, princess. We wouldn't want anyone to hear us."

Bra frowned and shrugged off her captor. She faced him, confirming her suspicions about his identity. Even with her abnormal growth spurt, Cooler was still taller than Bra. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. "Well? What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Cooler said lazily.

The princess stared up at him with a skeptical expression. "You pull me into an alcove. From the scent in the air, I can tell that you probably killed three or four servants just for kicks because this conversation could have easily happened out in the open and no one would have thought twice about it. You did all of that just to see how I'm doing? You're full of it. What do you really want?"

Cooler smiled. He placed a cold hand on the princess' face. "I already told you," he traced her jawline, "I just wanted to see how you were doing." He turned and walked away.

Bra stood there, befuddled at the random occurrence. "The dining hall is the other way!" she yelled after him. Cooler simply waved his hand and continued in the opposite direction. Bra watched him for a few minutes more before heading back to the dining hall. She was even more puzzled by seeing Cooler talking with her mother and father. She rubbed her eyes and made her way to her seat.

* * *

"I will be staying for the conclusion of the tournament. I just know the finale will be excellent. Besides, it always helps when you have at least one contestant still in the mix," Cooler said.

This caught Vegeta's attention. "Contestant?"

Cooler nodded. "Yes. The big one named Recoome is one of the best in my army. He practically begged to be in this little thing so I gave him leave. I expected him to go far in the tournament, but now he actually has a chance to win it. I believe he fights the prince next."

Bulma smiled. "So that means he has his work cut out for him. My son is more than a challenge for that behemoth," she said.

"Perhaps it is your son who has his work cut out for him." With that, Cooler turned and walked away.

Bulma frowned at Cooler's back. _Asshole_.

"Woman." Bulma turned her head to look at her mostly silent king. "You are not to attend the final two days of this tournament," Vegeta said.

"What? Why not?"

"I will answer your questions later. You are to stay with Kakarrot at all times."

"Vegeta..."

"This is not up for discussion."

Bulma knew that tone all too well. It meant that the topic and Vegeta's orders were not to be questioned, even by her. She crossed her arms and nodded slowly. Vegeta reached out for her hand, which she took, and led her to their spots at the table. They sat between their children and joined the dinner quietly.

* * *

The next morning, as she was getting the princess ready, Marron noticed that Bra was slightly more jittery than usual. "Are you nervous, princess?"

Bra quickly shook her head. "Nervous? I'm the furthest thing from that. I'm _**READY**_," she replied. Once Marron finished putting her hair up, Bra grabbed the helmet, put it on, and literally left Marron in her dust.

_Well, I guess she is eager. I just hope it doesn't get out of hand_, Marron mused, following the young monarch at her own pace.

* * *

Bulma sat in her private lab. At the last minute, her techs had managed to set up a screen so that she would be able to watch the matches from the palace. Vegeta had not come to bed the previous night and he still had not told her why he forbade her from leaving the premises. He knew something and he was not telling her.

_The nerve of that jerk. We're supposed to be a team. We can't do that if he doesn't share with me. I thought we were past this stage. I guess 20 years of marriage doesn't mean a thing_... Bulma's thoughts paused when she saw Goten and Bra entering the arena. Her daughter looked more eager than ever. Goten just appeared as laid back as usual. _Here goes nothing_...


	17. Chapter 17: Defeat

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 17: Defeat**

* * *

The bell rang and the two hybrids found themselves in a vast grassland. They faced one another after examining their surroundings. Before Goten could say anything, Bra had attacked. She delivered a haymaker that had him reeling. Goten took a single step back. For a moment, his senses were overcome with a pleasant, familiar scent. After that, rational thought ceased and he prepared to back mightily. He threw his own punch, catching her off guard. Then the fight began in earnest.

* * *

"Finally! Someone who can keep up with the Saiyans," Yaeger said from somewhere behind Eighteen. She was the only one in the royal box. Vegeta was closer to the arena, making sure nothing got out of hand. "I should think about hiring whoever this Okashi is."

"Anything to best the Saiyans, councilman?" Eighteen turned her head to the right. "What is your problem with them, anyway? Wouldn't you rather have them on your side than against you?"

Yaeger scoffed. "Humans and Saiyans alone are no problem whatsoever. I believe too many rely upon your king and queen for protection among other amenities."

"Oh I see." Marron turned to face Yaeger just as her mother did. "You think that our empire is too powerful. Are you not getting enough shine around the galaxy, councilman?" she asked.

"That is hardly the problem, little girl." He almost laughed at the glower Marron gave him. "All I'm saying is that the power the Saiyan king and human queen wield is far too much. Their influence undermines the entire council."

Cregg cleared his throat. "I wouldn't say that, councilman. Besides, they have been nothing but helpful; even allowing this pointless event to transpire on their grounds. They had all the reason in the galaxy to refuse; one of them being that it is the time of their full moon. The soldiers have been protecting us from those who give in to their baser instincts. For that we should be grateful," the chancellor said as he continued to watch the fight. "I daresay this is a very intriguing match."

Eighteen nodded as Cregg went back to talking about the match on the screens. She stole another glance at Yaeger though. The man's thinking was awfully reminiscent of Frieza's. He had also been afraid of Saiyans. _The difference being that Frieza chose to enslave and anger them. He got his comeuppance, though. Certainly the king will want to know of the way Yaeger thinks_, she mused. Eighteen came out of her thoughts when she felt her daughter nudge her. She looked at Marron to see the teenager looking just past her. Eighteen followed Marron's gaze.

Cooler had taken the place next to Eighteen. He had not spoken to her yet, but Eighteen knew it was only a matter of time. Sighing, she looked back out at the match on the big screens.

* * *

Bra slid back as she landed on the ground. She placed a hand down to slow herself down. When she finally stopped, she noticed most of her glove had torn off her fingers. Frowning, she pulled the shredded pieces off her fingers and tossed them to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Goten land. He did not stand still for long.

Goten flew towards Bra, preparing a kick. At the last moment, he phased behind her and threw a punch instead. Bra anticipated it and flipped forward. Goten paused as Bra's foot touched his chin, holding it up slightly. They paused in that position for a split second, staring at one another. Fast as lightning, Bra shot a blast up at his face and continued her flip. Goten barely dodged it, feeling the heat on his face. He frowned when he heard the giggling of his adversary.

_Ok. Now I'm absolutely positive that this is a chick I'm fighting. A laugh that girly could only come from one_, he thought as he chased after his tumbling opponent. He came to a stop and grabbed a foot. He smirked when he heard a gasp. He slammed the girl down on the grass. _However, this isn't a girl I know so I don't have to worry about feeling bad_.

The princess picked herself up. She heard a faint cracking noise but ignored it. Instead she turned back to Goten and they took to the skies in a fury of fists and feet.

* * *

Bulma watched from her lab with Kakarrot next to her. She was gnawing away at her fingernails. Kakarrot was just as engrossed with the match as she was. He wondered in the back of his mind if Bulma was just nervous for Goten. After all, he was like a second son to her. But, she seemed to react more to whenever the person known as Okashi took a hit. That was when Kakarrot started paying closer attention to _Okashi_.

"Bulma?"

"Yeah?" Bulma answered absentmindedly.

Kakarrot squinted at the screen. "Okashi fights an awful lot like Vegeta." He raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's a bit... softer than Vegeta's technique. But it really looks like his."

Bulma scoffed. "That's ridiculous, Kakarrot. Who else would know Vegeta's style? He did create his own, didn't he?"

"Well, yeah. That doesn't mean someone couldn't pick it up. If I concentrate hard enough I can imitate him..."

"Stop thinking too hard, Kakarrot. You'll give yourself a migraine."

Kakarrot chuckled a little. "Now you actually _**SOUND**_ like Vegeta."

* * *

Punch. Kick. Punch. Duck. Block. Kick. Parry. Punch. Kick. Block. Block. Duck. Swerve...

Bra and Goten were not getting anywhere in their fight. However, fighting at such a high level was starting to take its toll on Bra. She was trying her best to keep up with Goten and was running on sheer adrenaline by this point. Meanwhile, Goten was doing just enough to stay slightly ahead of his opponent. Bra's fatigue was not showing, though.

_Strange how I can't even sense this girl. She's directly in front of me and all I'm getting is... static_, Goten pondered as he dodged yet another blow. He could see the impatience in her actions. Her blows were coming less precise and more desperate. _Not long before I can deliver the finishing blow_. He smirked inwardly.

Bra could almost tell exactly what Goten was thinking. He thought he had her beat. Frustration taking over, she spun around and wrapped her leg around Goten's neck, leaning him forward. He was completely shocked to find himself in such a position. Bra leaned forward and elbowed him in the back while releasing him from her hold. She followed him down to the ground, ready to attack again. Goten whirled around during his descent and sent a blast up at her. Bra sent one to match his, causing a massive explosion.

* * *

From outside, Trunks watched the spectacle. Like Goten, he also surmised that Okashi was a girl. The fight was much more intense than he thought it would be. Goten did not seem to be in any immediate trouble, but the girl he was fighting did not seem to want to give. The prince stole a glance over at his father, Vegeta was also watching with focused eyes. Trunks looked back at the fight. There was something about the way the girl moved that seemed extremely familiar. Alas, he could not place what it was.

"Hey," a voice said from beside him.

Trunks turned his head to see Marron standing beside him. "What are you doing down here? I thought you were with your mother."

Marron shrugged. "There was far too much talk up there. Besides, Cooler gives me the creeps and Councilman Yaeger is a pig." She crossed her arms. "I wish Bra was here to see this. She's always talking about fighting Goten _**FOR REAL**_. She complains that he always goes easy on her."

The prince snickered softly. "That's because he doesn't want to hurt her. Goten always goes easy when it comes to girls. He's extra careful when it comes to Bra. I don't think he'll ever fight full out on her. He's almost there with this girl, though."

"Really?" Marron looked back at the two battling in another dimension. "Should be good seeing him go all out."

* * *

Bra was still holding her hand out as the dust cleared. She squinted as she tried to peer through the cloud of dirt. Her eyes widened when she felt Goten's energy behind her. She turned around only to catch a punch to her face that sent her flying. The force behind the punch was greater than any she had ever been dealt. The force was so great that she could not stop herself before she hit the ground.

Goten looked at the crater that the girl had created. He could see her body lying in the rubble. She appeared to be out cold as he touched down on the ground. He walked towards the crater and looked down. He saw her struggling to stand. He sighed; he'd put a lot into that punch. His eyes widened when he took in the girl's form.

As she stood, the helmet she had been wearing cracked even more. The pieces started to fall down from her head. She looked up at Goten, her eyes burning with anger. But what made Goten freeze was the blue hair peeking out from underneath the hood that covered her head.

"Bra?" he croaked.

Bra blinked at the sound of her name from Goten's lips. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hood off, revealing her hair. It fell down past her shoulders, down her back, framing her face. "Surprised?" she asked.

* * *

Trunks stared at the screen in absolute horror. The punch Goten had dealt Bra could have easily taken off any lesser man's head off. The entire time, Goten had been beating up on the very girl he'd sword to protect. The prince glanced over at his father. Vegeta seemed surprisingly calm at this new development. Even Marron did not seem surprised.

_I have a feeling they all knew about this. Why would they keep it a secret from me and Goten_?

* * *

Eighteen smirked at the princess' unveiling. She heard the collective gasps around the suite. She even heard Yaeger cursing in the background.

"This is certainly not a surprise," Cooler said calmly.

"And why not? Clearly no one knew that the princess had disguised herself. I certainly didn't, though I'm not sorry to say it is a pleasant surprise," Eighteen said.

Cooler smirked. "Why would it be? Princess Bra is indeed a spitfire. It's completely within her character to pull a stunt like this. I just wonder how the prince's little cohort will deal with this. Beating up on the prince is one thing. Beating up on Vegeta's pride and joy is another."

"That it is..."

* * *

Bra flew out of the crater and landed behind Goten. "You better fight me, Goten. You have to in order to get past me."

Goten squeezed his fists together. He noticed the blood running down from the left side of her face where she had taken the punch. He frowned at her. "I'm not going to fight you, Bra."

The princess growled low in her throat and flew towards him. "Then you'll just lose!" She went for his gut, but Goten blocked her.

* * *

Vegeta watched his daughter fight the son of Kakarrot with a concerned eye rather than with a critical one. Something was very wrong with Bra. The only thing he could attribute it to was the moon. It would be completely full and at its most powerful that night. Locking in her in the dungeon for its duration had briefly crossed his mind, but Bulma would probably raise hell if he even suggested such a thing.

_Perhaps she'll tire herself out here and just sleep for the rest of the day_, he considered. Mentally shaking his head, he concentrated back on the princess' battle. _This should definitely have a decent finish_.

* * *

"Well, this explains why _Okashi's_ fighting style resembled Vegeta's so much! I never knew the princess was this good! She's really giving Goten a workout. You should be proud, Bulma!" Kakarrot said happily.

Bulma rolled her eyes. She did not mind the fact that her daughter's cover was blown. She was more concerned about the blow to the girl's pride if Goten did not man-up and fight her properly. Bra's temper was a volatile amalgam of both hers and Vegeta's tempers. Sending the pseudo-teenager into a rage could be potentially dangerous for both her and Goten; especially if no one could calm her in time.

_This was not a good idea. I should've known the helmet would not hold up to blows of this caliber_, the queen thought.

* * *

Goten grabbed Bra's punch instead of blocking it. He watched her blue eyes widen and then narrow. She threw another that Goten grabbed. He now held both of her hands. He squeezed enough to cause her pain, but not to break her fingers. Gritting her teeth together, Bra snaked her right leg up between them. Goten blinked in confusion as she hooked it over his left shoulder. Her left leg came up and pushed against his sternum.

_How is she so damn flexible_? Goten cursed under his breath as he felt the pressure on his chest becoming very uncomfortable. He released Bra's right arm. The pressure eased up, but with her right leg hooked around his shoulder, she managed to swing around, coming to a sitting position on his shoulders. Bra bent backwards, hitting the back of his knees with her fists. Goten's legs gave out from under him. As they fell, Bra twisted so she would land on top and kept her legs locked around his neck. _Damnit_!

Everyone watching cringed at the sight. What Saiyan women lacked in upper body strength, they more than made up for with lower body strength. Getting caught between their legs was virtually a death sentence. The crowd watched as Goten futilely clawed at Bra's legs, trying to get her to release him.

"You'll lose consciousness before I let go, Goten!" Bra laughed evilly.

"Damnit, Bra! This isn't fair!" Goten yelled back at her. His attempts to get her to release him were weakening as his consciousness started to slip. "Shit..."

* * *

Trunks gaped at the screen. "I cannot believe what I just saw. The idiot let a girl win _**AGAIN**_! He could've gotten out of that, no sweat! Why does he keep going easy on girls?"

Marron giggled. "Because he's a gentleman."

"Puh! If Bra finds out that he went easy on her, she'll kill him."

"That may be so. But, maybe you should prep for your own match." Marron gestured over to the big guy named Recoome. "I heard he works for Cooler. He definitely can't be a walk in the park if even Cooler speaks highly of him."

"Yeah? Cooler speaks highly of beautiful women, too. I can take this guy."

* * *

Bra got to her feet as they reappeared back in their home dimension. She looked around to see her father. He gave her a slight nod and she returned it with a smile. That was as good as a _well done_ to her. She waved at the applauding crowd and limped/ran off to the tunnel. She definitely needed a healing tank.

When she got to the tunnel, she paused as she heard Marron and her brother speaking. They had not noticed her yet. _Goten went __**EASY**__ on me_? She turned and looked back up at Goten as he was coming to. Narrowing her eyes, she ran through the tunnel, not stopping for Marron. _I'll show him_...

* * *

A dry, mountainous region was where Trunks and Recoome found themselves for their match. Trunks scoped out his surroundings quickly and turned his attention to his competition. From watching a few of his matches, Trunks gathered that Recoome could take an obscene amount of punishment and still be formidable. Perhaps it was a good thing that Recoome didn't seem too bright.

_He might not be intelligent, but he's at least battle-smart. This could be a long one_, Trunks mused as he prepared himself. Figuring he was not going to attack first, Trunks went on the offensive as soon as possible. When his very first punch connected, the prince was momentarily shocked. The shock wore off almost as soon as it came and he threw another. And another. And another...

* * *

"The prince is in for a surprise," Cooler said to no one in particular.

Eighteen looked over at him. "Why do you say that? Clearly he has the advantage right now. The big one can't seem to really make an attack. Prince Trunks has him on the defensive and doesn't look like he's going to let up any time soon."

Cooler merely shrugged. "Delegate, this is only the beginning..."

* * *

Trunks had been battling Recoome for nearly ten minutes. He had just sent the larger man into the rocks below him. The prince landed a few feet from the newest crater. By the energy he was getting from the crater, he knew Recoome was still fresh as a daisy. The man was barely fighting back and Trunks kept trying to end the fight quickly. _I don't get it. How does he keep getting back up_? Trunks bemoaned. He stiffened as Recoome flew up and out of the crater. _All of that and the most he's got is a bloody nose and a few scratches. What's he made out of_?

Recoome stretched a bit. "I think I've gotten used to you now."

Trunks raised a lavender eyebrow. "Use to me?" he muttered. The next moment, Trunks was knocked backwards by an elbow to his chin. The next few moments were a blur of fists and feet.

* * *

Vegeta blinked as he saw his son being beat to a pulp. The match had turned on its head in less than a couple seconds. Trunks was now the one trying desperately to get away and regroup, but Recoome gave him no reprieve. He saw his son barely manage to get off a good hit and retreat quickly to a plateau.

"Well, this is certainly not a surprise, given that oaf's destructive potential. The boy should've been more conservative with his own power. He won't last much longer fighting at full power," Vegeta observed. He watched his son wipe the blood away from his mouth. There was still some fight left in him.

Bulma was watching with far less composure than her king. She had already gnawed her fingernails off and was now twisting some of the ruffles on her dress. Trunks was no longer winning. He even appeared to be tiring. _But Trunks has to win! No one is stronger than my baby! No one except his superiors! This idiot is no one! How dare he raise a hand to_... Her worried and angry thoughts came to an end as Trunks was kicked in his right arm.

"Wow. I think he actually broke it," Kakarrot said dryly. "There's no way Trunks should continue."

"No! That's not possible!" Bulma yelled. Yet, the irrefutable evidence was there as Trunks held onto his limp arm. "No..."

* * *

Trunks sank to one knee and held his right arm. It was now rendered useless. Fighting with one arm would not be so difficult if his opponent was so much stronger than him. Still, he would never give up. "You'll have to knock me out if you wanna win," he hissed at his opponent.

"Knock you out?" Recoome crossed his arms over his broad chest. "That won't be so hard."

* * *

Eighteen flinched as she saw the crushing blow Trunks was dealt. After a 10-count, Recoome was declared the winner. _I did not see that coming_, she thought. She narrowed her eyes as she heard the jubilation coming from behind her. She turned her head and glared daggers at Yaeger.

"Don't look so sour, delegate! There's still one Saiyan left in the tournament!" Yaeger yelled up to her.

Eighteen gave him a tight smile. "Of course." She looked at Cooler next. "You seem satisfied enough."

"I'm always satisfied when a subordinate gets the job done." The glimmering alien looked up and around him as if he just noticed something. "The queen did not attend to see her son?" he asked.

"The queen is under-the-weather and the king advised her to stay indoors today."

"Under-the-weather? Well that is most unfortunate. I was hoping to get in another chat with her. I do indeed treasure her company. I suppose it can't be helped if her husband chooses to lock her up inside," the eccentric replied.

Eighteen narrowed her eyes. "The king does not _lock her up_. Her wellbeing is as important as any other and he will do only what is in her best interest. She is not feeling well and that is all," she said curtly. She stood and walked out of the suite as the announcer was giving the schedule for the final match over the loudspeaker.

Cooler smiled as Eighteen left. While her buttons were not nearly as easy to push as her over-emotional monarchs, it was definitely a triumph when she was visibly uncomfortable. _But it is a bit of a tragedy the queen could not witness this. Her commentary on this match would have been most intriguing_.

* * *

"_**WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED? HOW THE HELL DID THAT STUPID BEHEMOTH DEFEAT THE PRINCE OF THE SAIYAN AND HUMAN RACE?"**_

This constant ranting was what Kakarrot was subjected to at the moment. Bulma was pacing around her lab, throwing objects about in frustration. Kakarrot was not worried, though. He had seen Bulma far more worked up. This was merely a temper tantrum. "It's not so bad, Bulma. At least Bra won." Kakarrot thought about that for a moment. "Well, at the expense of my own son, but at least there's still a Saiyan in the finals. Glass half full?"

Bulma stopped her stampeding and looked at Kakarrot. She cleared her throat and nodded. "I guess I could look at it that way. But now Bra has to fight that man." She sat back down with a sigh. "This won't end well. Things like this never do."

* * *

Bra yawned into her oxygen mask as the healing tank shut off and began draining. She moved her neck around before removing the mask and stepping out of the tank completely. While dripping the green goop, she examined her surroundings. Her eyes widened when she saw her brother a few tanks away. Green ointment inside his tank was tinged with red. Bra practically ran over to the tank. Her brother was out cold and his arm was held up in a sling.

"What the hell happened?" she whispered.

"He lost."

Bra tensed up and turned her head. Vegeta was approaching her slowly. "So I have to fight that other guy tomorrow?" she asked. Vegeta nodded once and Bra let out a long sigh. "Is he strong?"

"He defeated your brother soundly, even after the boy delivered several blows that would have put any lesser man down."

"Is he," Bra swallowed, "stronger than you?" The look Vegeta gave her caused her to chuckle a little. "Ok! I'm sorry I asked! But how much stronger can he be if he did this to Trunks?"

Vegeta shrugged and turned away from her. "You are perfectly capable of finding that out on your own." With that, he left Bra standing in the room alone.

* * *

Bulma sat up in her bed when she heard the door to the suite open. She crossed her arms as Vegeta entered the bedroom. "You knew Trunks wouldn't be able to win. Is that why you said I had to stay in the palace?" she asked.

Vegeta glared at her. "Of course not, woman. What gives you that impression?"

"You still haven't told me why you made me stay back in the palace." Bulma frowned at him. Vegeta narrowed his eyes. He walked over to Bulma. She watched him warily as he kneeled down in front of her, his eyes trained on her body. Bulma raised an eyebrow when he reached out and touched her. "Vegeta..."

Vegeta looked up at her. "It appears that you are with child once again." He stood up and headed for the bathroom.

The queen sat there with her mouth hanging open. She turned her head to look at Vegeta's retreating form. "Huh?"


	18. Chapter 18: Final Round

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 18: Final Round**

* * *

Brolly noticed Buu staring up at the sky. It had only been a little over two weeks since Bulma's departure. The alien had done little more than stare at the sky for hours on end between stuffing his face with the various treats he was brought daily. It was clear that this was Buu's way of keeping watch, but Brolly could not understand why the little alien was so pensive. The burly Saiyan walked up closer and stood behind Buu silently. If he had something to say, he would acknowledge Brolly on his own.

"Two months," Buu said.

The Saiyan appeared confused for a moment. He stepped up beside Buu and looked down at him. "I thought we had six months," he said.

Buu shook his head. "Master's ship moves faster now."

Brolly frowned and followed Buu's gaze up to the sky. The jump in speed was indeed great if the ship was only two months away. _This definitely requires the attention of the king and queen_. He turned to go back inside, leaving Buu staring up at the sky.

* * *

Bulma looked at herself in the mirror of her bathroom. She turned to the side, examining her body. Seeing no change from one angle, she tried a few different angles. So entranced with her examination, she did not hear her husband come up to the door.

"Woman, you're no more than a few days. Unless the child has a growth rate even faster than the major jump the bratling made, I don't think you'll be able to tell a difference." Vegeta crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall.

The queen shot him an icy glare. "How can you tell anyway?"

"Your destructive potential is definitely not as high as this child."

"Oh ha ha, Vegeta. I can't be pregnant! I don't have time for a pregnancy! Plus, I'm too old for this! So much could go wrong, especially since this isn't just a human child I'd be bearing." Bulma stormed past Vegeta and began pacing through her bedroom. She missed the concerned look on Vegeta's face.

"What do you mean? Saiyan women older than you have borne perfectly healthy babies. What does your age have to do with anything?" he inquired.

Bulma stopped her pacing and looked at Vegeta. "Well, you just answered your own question, Vegeta. _**SAIYAN**_ women have no trouble bearing _**SAIYAN**_children well into middle-age. However, I am _**HUMAN**_. My first two pregnancies weren't necessarily a piece of cake. Not to mention that I have to carry the child to term, something Saiyan women don't do."

"You think you will have complications?"

"No, not necessarily. I'm not exactly unhealthy myself. It's just that human women don't usually have children at my age. It isn't safe to either mother or child."

Vegeta's frown softened a tiny bit. He stepped up behind Bulma. When she turned around, she smacked right into his chest. "Woman, you are not old."

"I never said I was. I'm just... past my childbearing prime," Bulma said, crossing her arms over her chest. She noticed Vegeta staring at her in _that_ way. It was when he stared at her so intently that she felt he could see right into her soul, and he probably could. "What?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"You don't have to carry this child, woman."

"And just what are you suggesting I do? I most certainly will not give the child up."

"Weren't you just saying that it isn't in your best interest to keep the child? If it is too risky, I'd advise against going through with this pregnancy," Vegeta replied evenly. He watched Bulma sit down on the bed. Vegeta stood in front of her and kneeled down. "You wish to go through with this, don't you?"

"Of course, Vegeta. Detriment to my health or not, this is a child of my own."

"So what are the boy and brat? Stand-ins? That reasoning is ridiculous. But, I know I will not dissuade you. You will understand if you have a detail with you at all times, right?" The king stood up to leave the room. He heard Bulma's protesting, but paid her no mind as he left the room with a triumphant smirk upon his face.

* * *

Trunks watched his sister wolf down her breakfast. His feelings were mixed about the final match of the tournament. In less than an hour, his baby sister would be competing against the man who had defeated him, the Crown Prince of Vegeta-sei and Earth. In all honesty, it should have been Goten in her place. The prince still did not understand how he lost his own match. His opponent, the behemoth Recoome, had been far stronger. _No. It's not that he's strong. It's that he's so resilient. He's like Father_, Trunks mused. Even for all of Vegeta's strength, the greatest attribute was that the man was a tank. He could withstand more punishment than Trunks had ever seen.

While one part of him was mildly jealous, he was also worried. Seeing his sister fight Goten or a random Saiyan soldier was one thing. Seeing her fight someone who would have no qualms or reservations about her status was quite another. Bra was stubborn and would fight even if she was missing an arm or leg. She would need to be unconscious before she would give up. Then there was always the x-factor about Bra's power, but even that might not be enough.

"What are you looking at?" Bra asked through a mouthful of fruit. She watched Trunks blink out of his stupor and go back to eating. Rolling her eyes, she hurriedly finished her own food. Just as she was standing to leave, Trunks cleared his throat. Bra turned and looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Be careful, Bra. He doesn't have the sharpest mind, but he can take a lot of punishment. It'll be hard to put him down completely," the prince said quiet enough for only the princess to hear him. Bra nodded and hurried off.

Just as she got outside the dining hall, Bra came face-to-face with Cooler. Sighing, she mumbled a greeting and tried to go around him. He grabbed her quickly with his cold hand. He pulled the princess around to face him. No one seemed to notice their interaction.

"What do you want?" Bra whispered while trying to shrug from his grasp. He held fast to her arm. "And let me go."

Cooler placed a cold finger against Bra's lips. He watched her frown. "You do favor both your parents in the most peculiar of ways. I simply wanted to wish you good luck for your match. Even though Recoome is my own soldier, I still hold a soft spot for you." He traced his cold finger along her jawline.

"Good luck, huh?" Bra finally twisted her arm from Cooler's grasp. "Thanks, I guess." She backed away, feeling awkward under his glare. Finally she turned and walked away. She took five steps before she broke out into a run, suddenly feeling like she needed to bathe.

Cooler smirked as he watched the princess retreat. He turned around to go into the dining hall. Instead he found himself facing the king. Vegeta was glaring at him impassively. They stood like that for a moment before Cooler broke the uncomfortable silence. "Just wishing the princess good luck. You have no need to worry." Cooler passed Vegeta smoothly. The king simply wrinkled his nose in disgust and looked off into the distance where he saw his daughter disappear around a corner.

* * *

After much arguing and threatening to disable every gravity room from Vegeta-sei to ends of the empire on Hadrian 9, Bulma got Vegeta to relent and let her attend the final in person. The stadium was packed for the last match of the galaxy-wide tournament. Bulma sat in the crowded royal suite with the other members of the Galactic Council and Universal Alliance. Eighteen sat on her left while Trunks sat on her right in his father's place.

Trunks stared down at the field as the door to the tunnel opened. He looked towards the tunnel doors as Recoome made his entrance. Following behind him was Trunks' much smaller sister. She was no longer in disguise but instead she wore a navy blue romper and white boots and belt. Her outfit elicited quite a few whistles from the crowd, which were immediately silenced by a hard glare from Vegeta. Her hair was tied up and she was glancing around her excitedly. _Or nervously. You can never really tell the difference with Bra_.

"I'm scared, Trunks."

The prince blinked and looked over at his mother. She was sitting as if she had a rod in her back. Trunks took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "It'll be okay, Mom. You know Father won't let anything bad happen to her," he reassured her. Bulma nodded slowly and simply watched as her daughter and Recoome disappeared into pocket dimension, leaving Vegeta outside looking in.

* * *

Bra inhaled sharply. The air was significantly different than the air on Vegeta-sei. She took quick notice of her surroundings. The area was eerily similar to Earth, but the foliage was almost blue instead of green. Instead, the water was a deep green color and the sky was bright green. She frowned at weird sight and turned her attention back to Recoome. He seemed just as intrigued with the area as she did. Rolling her eyes, she readied herself silently.

Recoome turned his gaze towards Bra. "Hmm... You're a lot smaller than my last opponent. I hear you're the princess of the monkey race," he said stupidly. He saw the frown etched across the princess' face at his words. "Did I offend you? I'm sorry. That's just what the others call you."

"Really now?" Bra charged towards him as fast as she could and decked him across his jaw. "You shouldn't say such things." She continued her assault on him by slamming him down to the ground. Before he could recover, she kicked him across the ground. She chased after him and maneuvered her body under his bouncing body. She kicked him back up into the sky. Placing her feet on the ground, she jumped up and smashed Recoome back towards the terrain. He was heading for a pond not too far away. Bra raised her hand before sending a giant ball of pink energy at him. The ball sped up his descent and he crashed into the water with the ball digging into his flesh. Bra closed her hand into a fist and the ball exploded, sending water everywhere.

_That wasn't so hard. I don't know why Trunks and Daddy were so worried_, Bra thought as she lowered herself to ground. The moment her feet touched the ground, something flew from the pond, splashing water all over Bra. She whirled around as Recoome landed behind her. The princess frowned as she noticed that Recoome was barely scratched. Aside from the missing patch of his armor where Bra's energy attack had been, all he had was a few scratches. _What the hell_?

* * *

"Just a scratch? Bra did all of that and all he comes out with is a few nicks here and there?" Bulma frowned and looked at Trunks. The prince simply shrugged. "Is he really built like a tank?"

"Yes. But don't work yourself up. Just watch," Eighteen said, her voice even and calm. She stole a glance Cooler's way. The alien was watching with a smug look on his face. Rolling her eyes, Eighteen looked back out at the match.

* * *

"Ay, you're pretty strong for such a little girl. I thought the Saiyan girls were weak," Recoome said stupidly. Bra frowned and moved to get on her guard. Before she could put her arms up to block, Recoome knocked her backwards. The princess went skidding across the pond. She regained her composure just before she hit the dirt on the other side. She placed her hands down and flipped backwards, landing on a rock. She wiped her nose, noticing the blood coming from it. Frowning, she took off back towards Recoome and engaged in a fistfight.

* * *

Vegeta knew this was a battle his daughter would not win. She was trying her hardest, but that was the problem. She was not used to fighting at full power for an extended period of time. After 30 minutes of fighting at such a level, she would eventually tire out. _At least she's fighting with her brain instead of giving in to her impulses. That's always a good sign_, the king mused. His daughter was definitely making him proud.

* * *

Bra was now the one being pushed back. She managed to kick Recoome away from her. She took off away from him, allowing him to give chase. She watched him fly after her. She prepared a blast behind her back. She narrowly dodged Recoome's quick attack, allowing herself to fall slightly. Bra twisted her body upside-down and sent her blast towards Recoome. The oaf allowed it to hit him.

"Did I get him?" Bra whispered. She blinked when her answer came in a knee to her face. She went crashing down to another pond below them.

Recoome smiled when the princess did not surface immediately. He lowered himself to the ground. "Maybe I won already! You can begin the count now!" he yelled up into the sky. He glanced back down when he saw Bra's small body falling pop up out of the water. He took a deep breath.

Bra flew towards Recoome at top speed. She stopped when she noticed what he was doing. He opened his mouth and sent a gigantic blast towards her. It was not a fast attack, but it had enough energy in it to kill her if she was hit with it. _What the hell is he doing_?

* * *

"What the hell is he doing? That could kill her!" Bulma rose to her feet. She stepped forward and placed her hands on the stone balcony. She gripped the sides as she watched the gigantic blast split up into weaker, but numerous and fast blasts. Bra managed to dodge a few as she tried to make her way closer to Recoome. However, a few managed to get through Bra's defenses.

Vegeta was looking at Bulma up in the royal suite. Even from this distance he could see the distress on her face. It also did not help that her energy was fluctuating in worry. _She should know that I will not allow anything to happen to her. The brat will be fine_. He turned his attention back towards the match.

"Your majesty, are you sure continuing this bout is a good idea? The princess is not overmatched?" the referee asked. All he got was a menacing glare from the king.

"Are you suggesting your princess is weak?" Vegeta tersely inquired.

"No, your majesty. Forgive me." The referee went back to watching the match.

* * *

Bra continued her dodging while still advancing on Recoome. It did not take her long to realize that while he was continuing the attack, Recoome could not see or sense her. However, the smaller blasts seemed to follow wherever she went. An idea popped into her head and she sped up while still evading. She flew up higher and then allowed herself to free-fall. Right before she hit the ground, she righted herself and phased behind Recoome. She whirled around on one foot, tripping him up. He fell, closing his mouth on the blast and simultaneously getting hit with all the blasts that were chasing her.

Unfortunately, the princess was also caught in the explosion.

* * *

Trunks blinked when he saw Goten make his way forward to the balcony next to the queen. Smirking, he mentally commended his sister on her strategy. _That was extremely clever. I'm surprised she's still thinking out there. Maybe she is a better fighter than me_... The smirk disappeared from his face.

"She's not a better fighter than you, Trunks." Goten sat down beside him. He noticed the look his best friend gave him and chuckled. "Don't look at me like that. I could tell that's what you were thinking. She's just a natural, but you're still the better fighter."

"How do you know that?"

"When you put your mind to it, you're almost as smart as your father when it comes to it." Goten patted his shoulder. "Don't stress about it."

* * *

Bra coughed the dust out of her lungs as she made her way to her feet. She looked around in the dust cloud. _I did not think that through completely. I didn't mean to get caught in the blast too_. She rubbed the dust out of her eyes and squinted through it. She could still sense Recoome, but her slight dizziness did not help her situation. When she finally got a read on where he was she was dodging an attack from him. He moved again and wrapped his arms around tin body in a bear hug.

The dust cloud dissipated as Bra squirmed in Recoome's hold. "Be still and just give up now, little girl." He squeezed her tighter and tighter. Bra shook her head fervently and continued to struggle against Recoome. He just squeezed her tighter, crushing her in his grasp. He noticed Bra take a deep breath and lean back a bit in the hold. Then she moved forward quickly, knocking her forehead against his. He stumbled back for a moment, but did not release her. Bra repeated the process three more times before she felt Recoome's hold loosen up. She freed her arms and pushed him away. She landed on her back a few feet away as Recoome reeled in pain.

_Damnit! Now my head hurts_! Bra touched her forehead. She looked at her fingers and saw the blood there. Then she got to her feet. The world was spinning. Luckily, Recoome did not seem any better off than she did. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward to attack. It came as a total surprise when Recoome jumped over her. By the time Bra realized what had happened, the pain registered in her back.

* * *

Vegeta knew Bra's back was broken before she hit the ground. The collective gasp of the crowd showed him that even they knew Bra would not be getting back up. He nodded over at the referee to pull them from the pocket dimension. Vegeta turned his attention back to the screen to see Recoome getting ready to finish his daughter off for good. Frowning, Vegeta glared back at the referee, who doubled his efforts.

"What is he doing? He's already won! Somebody do something!" Bulma yelled. She looked back at her son, but he was way ahead of her. He was already on his way down to the main floor of the arena.

"Oh this fight has turned out much better than expected. I didn't expect to see the princess go down in such a fashion." Yaeger sounded almost excited that Bra was hurt and about to be killed. Before the chuckle could leave his lips, Bulma's fist had gone across his face.

"Asshole! You dare speak ill of my daughter?" She raised her hand to smack him again. Cooler caught it deftly. Bulma wrenched around to glare at him. "You had better let go of me, Cooler," she said.

Cooler ignored Bulma for the moment. Instead, he pulled the queen away from the whimpering old man and into his chest. Bulma struggled against him. Cooler noticed Eighteen standing and Marron moving towards him. "Relax, ladies. I'm simply saving Councilman Yaeger from the beating of his life at the hands of the queen. We wouldn't want her to bruise those beautiful knuckles, would we?" He deposited Bulma back in her seat. "Now, let's see if your daughter is going to be all right, hm?" Bulma continued to scowl at Cooler. Eventually, she calmed down enough to see what was happening down on the floor.

Recoome found himself stomping on the dusty floor of the arena. He blinked and looked around him. The princess' body was no longer beneath him. He turned and saw Vegeta was holding the princess' limp body. The king glared at him icily and calmly deposited his daughter in her brother's arms. Recoome smirked goofily. "I guess I win," he said.

Vegeta's frown deepened. "It would appear as though that is the case. Take the brat to the tanks, boy."

"Yes, Father." Trunks left quickly, leaving Vegeta and Recoome alone on the arena floor.

Recoome watched Trunks leave, but did nothing. He turned his eyes back towards Vegeta. "So what's my prize?"

"Perhaps you should ask the council that. I was merely to host the tournament." Vegeta turned on his heel and walked away to the cheers of his people. HE glanced up towards the royal suite as he walked. He saw exactly what he expected to see: the queen's chair vacated and the Head Delegate clapping quietly. Grunting, he headed for the exit of the arena and to the palace.

* * *

Bulma stumbled into the infirmary. She could hear Trunks talking in a calm voice to someone. Then Bulma heard the screaming wrath of her daughter. She rushed forward and saw Bra laying on her stomach. Trunks was kneeling where her head was and trying to talk her into something while a doctor stood off to the side. Bulma stepped forward and cleared her throat. "What's going on here? Why isn't Bra in the tank yet?"

The doctor faced Bulma. "My queen, the princess needs to have her back set before she enters the healing tank. The princess also refuses to let anyone touch her currently," he said.

Bulma stalked forward and pushed her son out of the way. She kneeled down to Bra's face. "Bra, your back is broken. In order for it to be healed properly, we have to set it." She took hold of Bra's hand. The princess squeezed her eyes shut. Bulma prepared herself for both the scream and possibly Bra breaking her fingers by squeezing Bulma's hand. Surprisingly, when the doctor set Bra's spine back into position, Bra simply sucked in air through her clenched teeth while holding her eyes shut. Bulma patted her head. "There. Now that the worst is over, we'll get you into a tank and you'll be right as rain in a few hours." Bulma released Bra's hand and stood up. The doctor scooped the princess up and carried her to the room with the healing tanks.

"Queen Bulma!" One of Bulma's techs ran into the infirmary. Bulma turned to face him as he entered the room she stood in. "Queen Bulma, Brolly is calling from Earth. He says it is urgent."

"Urgent? Has the king been called as well?" Bulma asked as she stepped forward.

"Yes, your highness. The king has been sent for. The news is regarding the spacecraft heading for Earth."

* * *

When Vegeta got to the conference room, Bulma was already questioning Brolly at a lightning fast rate. He stepped up beside her and cleared his throat. Bulma stopped talking and looked over at him. "What's the problem? Has this spacecraft landed on Earth yet?" Vegeta inquired.

"No, sire. Buu says it has picked up speed since you left for Vegeta-sei. At its present speed, it will be here in two months," Brolly replied.

"Are we sure this is a hostile presence?" Bulma asked.

"It sent that alien to kill you and me. I believe that counts as hostile, woman. The only thing that saved us was the fact that the brat seems to be very amiable." Vegeta looked back up at Brolly. "Do you have an exact date that it should arrive?"

"If its current speed remains the same, no less than fifty-eight days from now. Orders, sire?"

Vegeta thought for a moment. "This _master_ of the pink thing supposedly uses magic. Magic is a tricky weapon; completely different from manipulating one's life force. Something like that is very difficult to battle against. There's no definite battle plan."

"Well, Buu is on our side, Vegeta. From what I've seen, he's capable of something other than energy manipulation. He makes candy out of random objects when he has nothing to eat. I've seen him turn an entire rose bush into a giant chocolate marshmallow," Bulma said. Both Brolly and Vegeta looked at her. "Well, it's true."

"I have no doubt Buu will be of use. Will you be returning, your highnss?" Brolly directed his question to Bulma.

"I..."

"She will be remaining on Vegeta-sei." Vegeta cut her off. Bulma glared over at him. He stared back, unaffected by her icy expression. "You are staying on Vegeta-sei and that is final. I will go to Earth to sort this mess out and be done with it."

"I'm perfectly capable of answering for myself. And Earth is my home. I'm not going to cower here on Vegeta-sei. I worked to damn hard to get my planet back all those years ago and I'm not going to sit on a planet millions of light-years away while my people are in danger!" Bulma yelled back at him.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at his wife. He stepped up closer to her and leaned closer to her left ear. "You are in no _**CONDITION**_ to go back to Earth. You will stay here, where it is _**SAFE**_," he whispered to her. He stepped back away from her. Bulma closed her mouth and nodded in defeat. Vegeta noted her silent compliance and looked back at Brolly. "Keep us updated. If anything should change, alert us immediately. Prepare for my arrival. I will be bringing another battalion as well as the prince."

"Yes, majesty." Brolly's face disappeared from the screen.

Bulma crossed her arms. "So you're going to use this little secret to get me to do whatever you want, huh?" she accused.

"If you want to put it that way," Vegeta replied with a lackadaisical shrug. "Did you ever find out what happened to that large mass that was outside the atmosphere?" He began walking out. Bulma followed after him.

"Now that you mention it, it just sort of disappeared around the same time Cooler arrived. You don't think he has something to do with it, do you?"

"Of course I do, woman. In fact, his new... body appears to be made of some material just like it. The brat really did a number on him that he had to get a new body. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose."

Bulma smirked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I remember a certain blue-haired brat dismantling another member of the Cold Empire. It's only right that her daughter dismantle the other," Vegeta threw a smirk her way. Bulma chuckled a little and grabbed on to his arm. "Now that this ridiculous event is over, can these vultures please leave my presence and my planet?"

"Of course, my king. After the closing ceremonies, they'll be on their merry way."

* * *

Dinner was a loud, raucous event that night. Vegeta and Bulma sat at a table apart from the rest of the visitors. A fair amount of them spent time congratulating Recoome on besting the Saiyan princess. The princess herself was absent from the dinner as she was still healing. Trunks sat next to his father while Eighteen sat next to Bulma. Something had been weighing on her mind.

"Eighteen, you're mighty quiet tonight. Usually you'd have said something derogatory about the way these imbeciles are conducting themselves around royalty. What gives?" Bulma asked as she sipped from her goblet.

Eighteen looked at the queen and cleared her throat. "I was just thinking about several comments Councilman Yaeger has been making regarding this empire," she answered.

"Don't worry about anything that creep says, Eighteen. He'll complain about anyone who doesn't kiss his ass." Bulma noticed the stern look on the Head Delegate's face. "What did he say that has you so worried?"

"His way of thinking is eerily reminiscent of Frieza's. I wouldn't put it past him to try some extremely heinous things to threaten this empire. He thinks you and the king wield too much power around the galaxy."

Bulma shrugged. "That's nothing new. He hasn't done well to hide his distaste of us all these years. I would've hoped for his removal from office, but somewhere someone likes him." She glared in Yaeger's direction. The man was one of the main people congratulating Recoome on his victory. "Stupid twat..."

The blonde smiled and followed the queen's gaze. "I still think we should keep an eye out for him. Who knows what shady connections he could have," she said.

"We will. We also have eyes and ears everywhere. Nothing gets past us and if it does, it'll eventually be found out. Vegeta wouldn't have it any other way." Bulma sighed inwardly as she saw Cooler approaching the table. "Seems like it's time to make nice with my fellow dignitaries," she whispered to Eighteen.

* * *

Bra's eyes opened has the tank started to empty. She removed the oxygen mask just as the door started to open. She stepped out, dripping in the green goo. The infirmary sounded deserted. Figuring that she was alone, Bra started peeling off her clothing. She left her battle suit on the floor in a goopy mess and headed towards the showers. Bra let her hair down as she turned on all the showers and stepped in the warm stream.

The princess stretched under the water. She raised her arms over her head and cracked her back. _That's much better. I didn't know I'd be so stiff after healing. Feels like I haven't moved in years_, she thought as she kept moving around to get the kinks out. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps. She turned her head and looked behind her. While the room was well-lit, it was also very steamy from all the showers being on. Bra pulled her blue hair over her shoulder as turned her bod to the side.

"Is someone there?" Bra called out into the steam. Something glimmered in her left peripheral vision. The princess turned her head.

* * *

"I've come to bid you adieu, queen," Cooler said.

Bulma raised a wary eyebrow at him. "Leaving so soon? I'd thought you'd at least want to gloat about the victory a little more. Recoome is your subordinate, is he not?" she asked. Cooler nodded. "Then why the sudden departure? Surely you could afford to wait until tomorrow to leave."

Cooler's cold eyes glinted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted me to stay, queen."

"Do not assume such things, Cooler. I just know enough about you to know that you rarely miss a chance to antagonize me. Going where you're not wanted is something you find interesting. I was merely curious as to why you were breaking from... tradition," Bulma countered.

Vegeta tuned in to his queen's conversation with Cooler. He did not look their way, though. Instead, he just went about eating his food in his usual methodical, militaristic manner. The king was getting a suspicious feeling, but he always felt that way when in Cooler's presence. The alien unnerved him to no end even if he was not doing anything wrong. Vegeta reached out for Cooler's energy mentally. He found the alien's energy pathetically weak in regards to his. He let out an uncharacteristic snort.

Bulma looked over at Vegeta. "Something wrong, Vegeta? I was just seeing Cooler off."

Vegeta looked at Cooler and then at Bulma. "Well, don't let me stop you from giving your farewells," he said without breaking stride in his food consumption.

Bulma rolled her eyes and glanced back up at Cooler. "Well, it was... amusing seeing you here, alive and well. I don't doubt we will meet again." She offered up her hand. Cooler took it and placed a soft peck on her hand. Bulma met his eyes as he released her. She did not like what she saw.

"I don't doubt we'll see one another sooner rather than later. Good evening, majesties." Cooler turn and left the room, looking as though he'd just won a battle.

* * *

A nurse walked into the infirmary. She noticed the steam coming from the showers. She immediately headed towards the showers. The nurse walked inside the bright room and managed to get most of the showers off. She went to the far wall and stumbled over something on the floor. When she looked down, she screamed.


	19. Chapter 19: Shiny New Toy

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 19: Shiny New Toy**

* * *

Vegeta walked briskly towards the infirmary. A crowd of servants and guards had gathered outside of the medical room. He watched as they parted for him to enter the closed-off area. He met up with Kakarrot, who had arrived before him. The younger Saiyan stepped in front of him. Vegeta glared up at him. "Let me pass, Kakarrot."

Kakarrot nodded. "Okay, but first let me prep you for what you're about to see. I just need you to remain calm." He looked past Vegeta. "Where's Bulma?"

"I left her back in the dining hall. Now why should I remain calm?"

"Well, this could come as a bit of a shock..."

"Kakarrot, move out of..." Vegeta stopped when his nose belatedly picked up the scent of blood. The infirmary always managed to cloud the smell due to all the antiseptics. It always took a moment for the smell of blood to make itself known to even a Saiyan's senses. The king stepped around Kakarrot and went inside the showers.

The stench of blood was almost overwhelming when Vegeta got to the back of the showers. He saw blood running down the trains of the steamy room. When he came to the spot where the blood originated, he came to something covered with a sheet. He kneeled down and removed the sheet. His facial expression remained stoic as he stared down at the body.

Bulma noticed how all the servants and guards avoided her gaze as she entered the infirmary. Vegeta had been gone an exceptionally long time and she had come to see what held his attention for so long. She found him soon enough in the showers. "Vegeta, what's going on? You've been gone so..."

On the floor beneath Vegeta was their daughter. She was on her back with a wound that split her from navel to her throat. Her blue eyes were still staring up. Vegeta cursed under his breath as he heard Bulma's scream. He immediately covered his daughter up and stood. Bulma was being restrained by Kakarrot. He tapped the taller Saiyan on the shoulder. He released Bulma and she flew into him, beating on his chest.

Trunks came up behind his parents. Goten followed close behind. They looked around. Not much could be heard over Bulma's pained wails. They both looked ahead of them. Peeking out from beneath the sheet was a hand and a lock of blue hair. "Dad, what happened?" Trunks whispered.

Vegeta looked at him over Bulma's hair. Her crying was destroying his ears, but he did not release her. He said nothing to Trunks and tried to take Bulma away from the scene. She fought to get out of his grasp and managed to slip through. She got two steps towards the body before Vegeta grabbed her around the waist. He looked at Trunks again, ignoring Bulma's squirming. "Get this... cleaned up."

Trunks watched his father leave before turning to the covered body. He looked at Goten. His best friend was already moving towards the body. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Goten hooked his arms under the body. He managed to stand with the body still covered. "What does it look like? I'm taking her to the coroner." He turned and faced Trunks. The prince stared at the body's hand as it hung limply. He nodded quickly and turned away. Goten sighed and walked past Trunks.

* * *

Vegeta finally let Bulma go as they got to their chambers. Kakarrot was behind them. Vegeta pushed Bulma inside and closed the door. He faced Kakarrot again. "No one is to leave the palace. No one is to leave the _**PLANET**_," he said. Kakarrot nodded and left the king. Vegeta steeled himself and entered his chambers.

Surprisingly, Bulma was quiet. She was sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring at the wall. Vegeta sat down across from her in an armchair. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Bulma was doing what he learned to call _brewing_. Her anger was _brewing_ into something the likes of which the galaxy had never seen. He simply waited for her to speak, which she eventually did.

"Not one soul will leave this planet until I find out who did that to my child." Her voice was remarkably even; a far cry from what it was just minutes ago.

"Oh? And just how do you plan on going about this investigation?" Vegeta asked, opening his eyes to look at Bulma. She trained her eyes on him. "You can't just go out there and demand answers from a bunch of idiots and their even more idiotic cohorts. At least you can't in the state you're in. You need to calm down."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Calm down? You're telling me to _**CALM DOWN**_? _**I AM CALM**_!" she yelled, rising from her seat. She turned away from Vegeta and crossed her arms. Vegeta could see her lip trembling and prepared for the tears. "Someone has done a horrible, deplorable, unforgivable thing to my little girl, Vegeta. I want to know who," she whispered.

Vegeta nodded. "I'll find out."

* * *

Trunks and Goten stood over the covered body. The blood had been cleaned away. Goten squinted in the dim lights and sniffed. He sniffed again. Trunks looked over at him. "About to cry or something?"

Goten shook his head, still sniffing. "You don't smell that?"

"Smell what?" Trunks sniffed the air. "What am I supposed to be smelling?"

"Her scent is off. It's... wrong." Goten picked up a lock of hair. "Completely wrong."

Trunks narrowed his eyes. "She smells like Bra to me. What do you mean her scent is wrong?"

"It just smells... different." Goten noticed Trunks frowning at him. "Trust me." He walked closer to her body. He leaned down to her and tried to take in her scent again. He stood up straight, shaking his head. "This isn't Bra."

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked quickly. If there was a chance that this was some horrible joke, he wanted to know if it was true. "What do you mean?" he repeated.

"It can't be her. I can't... smell her."

"Goten, she smells just like..."

"If he says he can't smell her then he's probably right. His sense of smell towards the bratling has changed." Vegeta made his presence known in the room. Both young men stepped away from the body as he came closer. "Are you positive that this isn't the bratling?" he asked.

Goten swallowed. "I can be sure if I look at something. May I?" he asked, pointing to the sheet covering the body. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. He watched Goten lift the sheet over the left hip and look down. He studied for a moment before exhaling. He turned the other two men in the room. "It's not her."

"Well, if that's not Bra..."

"... where the hell is she?" Vegeta turned on his heel to leave the room. Before he made it out the door, he turned to face Goten. "How did you gather that it wasn't her?"

The son of Kakarrot swallowed and scratched the back of his head. "When we fight, I noticed that she has a stretch mark on her hip. It was just, um, something I found interesting since she has no other marks on her body."

Trunks crinkled his nose. "I'm going to pretend you haven't seen my sister scantily clad." He looked over at Vegeta. "This is good news, isn't it? Bra isn't dead."

Vegeta shook his head. "No, she's not. However, she is not here either. Someone went through a great deal of trouble to leave this avatar in her place." He turned and stalked out of the room. Part of him let out a sigh of relief knowing that his daughter was still alive somewhere. The other part was furious that someone would dare take her.

_I don't need this added onto what's about to happen on Earth. Hostile presences are just everywhere these days_, he thought.

* * *

Bulma listened to Vegeta recount the information Goten had given them. While she was relieved, it was still bittersweet. "That doesn't tell me where the real Bra is." She stood up and walked out onto their balcony. "I have a theory."

Vegeta leaned against the railing beside her. "Well? Let's hear it."

"I was thinking Cooler had something to do with this. After all, he is the only one _**STUPID**_ enough to try something like this. Also, his sense of humor seems to fall right along these lines. However, going by the timetable I made in my head, he shouldn't have been able to attack Bra at all," Bulma said.

"And how do you figure that?"

"There was not enough time between Bra getting out of the healing tank and showering and when Cooler left us in the dining hall. Those events happened almost simultaneously. Cooler was off the planet before Bra was found. The only way he could have accomplished this feat is if he was in two places at the same time." Bulma looked at Vegeta. "That is impossible, right? No one can be in two places at the same time."

Vegeta stared at his wife. "That depends on how many of this person there are."

Kakarrot entered their room unannounced, causing both of them to glare at him. He shrugged and stepped out onto the balcony. "You have a message. It's from Cooler."

Bulma looked at Vegeta. "I hate being smart."

* * *

Members of the Galactic Council had also gathered in the conference room to see what Cooler had to say to the king and queen. According to Universal Law, what Cooler had done was very much illegal. When the scream came on and Bulma and Vegeta could see his face, Vegeta pushed Bulma back into Kakarrot's arms to keep her quiet. He stepped forward to look the offending man in the eyes.

"You have something I think should be returned to me," Vegeta said, his tone even yet deadly.

Cooler simply smiled down at him from the screen. "Some_thing_, you say? I was unaware that a living being with a distinct gender could be classified as such. I was also unaware that ownership is involved when it comes to your children, King Vegeta." His voice oozed with sarcasm. "Tell me. How long did it take the good queen to figure out my little scam after I'm sure you realized the body was a fake?"

"You sick son of a bitch! You think toying with my daughter's life is a fucking joke?" Bulma yelled, fighting to get out of Kakarrot's grasp. The taller Saiyan held fast, staring up at Cooler's face with a hard look of his own. "You better not have hurt her..."

"Where is she?" Trunks asked, stepping up next to his father.

"Oh! The little prince steps up to seek out his baby sister! It's always nice to see a family come together. Although, I must say the wrath of the queen is a bit on the overkill side..."

"Cut the shit, Cooler. Bring my daughter back here or the wrath of my queen will be the least of your worries. You've seen what I do to people who harm the women in my life. Unless you want to follow in the footsteps of your brother and my father, I suggest you do as I say and return the princess," Vegeta said, his voice still remarkably even and calm.

Cooler's smile dropped at the mention of his brother. "A volatile, yet somehow touching threat, King Vegeta. Ask yourself this, though: which is more important? The wellbeing of your daughter, a single solitary soul, or the wellbeing of an entire planet under your rule? That of Earth?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about? What does Earth have to do with anything? Return my daughter at once!"

"Now, now, king. There's no need to raise your voice. You were doing so well earlier. Let's try to keep that temper in check, eh?" Cooler mocked.

"You try my patience, changeling."

"Then answer the question, Saiyan." Cooler's tone had lost all its usual playfulness. Even Bulma was a bit surprised at how he addressed Vegeta. She had never heard him address her husband as anything other than his given title. She calmly shook off Kakarrot and moved next to Vegeta. She placed a hand on his shoulder and felt him trembling with anger. He settled down a bit at her touch. The smile returned to Cooler's face. "Now that I have your undivided attention, I'll get to the point. I know all about Earth's little problem heading its way. You were returning to planet after today, anyway. You could either go and protect your planet or you can come after me."

Vegeta inhaled sharply. "I cannot be in two places at once. You forget that I have more than enough manpower at my disposal and the queen. They don't _**NEED**_ me on Earth."

"On the contrary, king. I highly doubt your simple-minded barbarians can handle a threat such as this without their fearless leader. I'm almost concerned for even your wellbeing."

"Why have you taken Bra? You're breaking about fifty Universal Laws." Bulma turned towards the members of the Galactic Council. "Isn't he? He can't just kidnap whomever he wants! He can't kidnap a member of royalty!"

Chancellor Cregg cleared his throat. "Well, that depends, my dear. It all depends on what circumstances he took her."

"What?" Bulma croaked.

"Right you are, Chancellor Cregg. I took the princess under relatively simple pretenses. I'm declaring an osveta."

"A what?"

Vegeta squeezed his fists closed and lowered his head. "I told you to get acquainted with Universal Law. An osveta is a right to revenge."

"Revenge?" Bulma glared up at Cooler. "She was just a child! Is your pride hurt so much that you'd go after a child? You _**MONSTER**_! You're no better than your psychotic bitch of a brother!" she screamed up at him. Her language was beginning to get a few raised eyebrows from the audience.

Cooler's affable façade dissolved immediately. "_**I AM NOTHING LIKE FRIEZA**_!" he yelled. Everyone seemed momentarily shocked his outburst. It appeared that for all of his evil affableness, Cooler was hardly affable. "Never compare him to me, queen. All I have left to say is that you better hurry and save the queen's planet. The sooner you've completed that task the faster you'll have your beloved daughter back."

"What will you do to her?" Trunks asked.

Cooler's façade returned as he looked at the teenager. "That's a very good question, young prince. What _**WILL **_I do to her?" The screen went black, flashing the words _END TRANSMISSION_.

Bulma lowered her head. After a few moments of silence, she whirled on the members of the Galactic Council. "If something happens to my daughter... _**ANYTHING**_... I will hunt each and every one of you down and kill you myself. Making ridiculous laws that amount to an eye-for-an-eye. Fuck you all to hell." She turned away from them and stormed out of the room. Kakarrot followed after.

Trunks looked at his father. "What now?" he asked as the crowd dispersed behind them.

Vegeta grunted. "First, we go to Earth and rid the planet of the scum. Then we find Cooler and rid the galaxy of him. There is nothing keeping me from declaring an osveta in return."

* * *

Bra's eyes fluttered open. She had a splitting headache. She sat up off the cold floor she lay on. She glanced around and blinked the blurriness out of her eyes. This was definitely not where she remembered being last. Bra gathered that she was off of Vegeta-sei by the woozy feeling accompanied with the emptiness she felt. Goten was nowhere near her. She did not dwell too long on that, though. She was in a very dark room. Or, at least she thought it was dark. She could see her body, but there was nothing but blackness around her. There was no source of light that she could see. To test to see if a wall was near her, she reached out. It was then that she noticed the chains.

"What the..." Bra gasped as the chains began to raise. Her arms raised as well. Soon, she was hanging by her arms, her toes scraping against the floor. "Why can't I break these?" she mumbled as she tried to break the chains off. Theoretically, a regular pair of chains would be like snapping a twig.

"You'll never get out of that, princess. Not unless you show me what I want to see."

Bra inhaled sharply. She tried to twist her body around to see who was talking to her. She had a feeling she knew who it was though. Through her peripheral vision she could see the shimmering body of Cooler. For a moment she wondered if he was giving off his own light. Even as he walked around her, she could not see anything brightening all the black around her. She looked in his face and scowled. "What do you want? Why am I here? When my father here's about this..."

Cooler held up a hand, silencing her. "Your father knows very well where you are. He also has other pressing matters in his dominion. It was either you or the dominion. The dominion won," he said with a smile.

The princess continued to stare at him. "Daddy's a king. I may be his daughter, but I know that when it comes to the empire, I'm merely a subject; a piece of a bigger puzzle. Besides, I can take care of myself."

"Says the girl who's chained and hanging from a ceiling." The remark earned Cooler a swift kick to his chin as Bra's leg swung up. Stunned, he stepped back for a moment. When he looked up again, both of Bra's legs wrapped around his neck. She jerked her body around, snapping his neck in the process.

_Now how am I going to get down? Didn't quite think that one through. That's been happening a lot lately_. Bra looked up at her chained hands. Sighing, she pulled herself up and tried to plant her feet on the ceiling. When she did, she pushed away from the ceiling with her legs. After a few moments, the ceiling gave way along with the chains. Bra managed to land on her feet. She unraveled the chains from around her wrists and threw them down on the lifeless body of Cooler. She turned towards the door and her eyes widened.

"I guess you really can take care of yourself." Cooler stood right in front of Bra, fresh as a daisy. To make sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her, Bra glanced behind her. The body of Cooler was still on the floor. She turned and looked at Cooler standing in front of her. "Surely the solution isn't so hard to come to, princess."

"You cloned yourself or something? Why would you do something like that?" Bra asked.

"Princess, you just snapped my neck with your legs. I was right in assuming you would fight back. However, you still haven't showed me what I wanted to see." Cooler snapped. Before Bra could react, she found herself hanging from the ceiling again. It happened so fast that even she did not see it. "Show it to me, princess."

"Show you what?" Bra craned her neck to look at Cooler.

Cooler stepped up closer to her. "The little beast that's inside of you. Show me your power, princess."

"Why? Wanna get blown to bits again?" Bra's head snapped to the side as Cooler's tail slapped her across the face. It did not feel like flesh had hit her. Instead it felt like something cool and hard like a slab of metal had connected with her cheek. Bra spat blood and a tooth out.

"My, my. I guess I don't know my own strength." Cooler walked around to look Bra in the eye. "You can either show me what I want to see or you can become my playmate. I can get very creative with my... games."

Bra raised her head. "I can't do it when I feel like it. I need... incentive."

"Incentive? Like the need to defend yourself?" Cooler nodded slowly, thinking. "I can arrange a situation like that." He stepped around her and left the room.

The moment the door closed, Bra was shrouded in darkness. Real darkness. She could no longer see even herself. Her breath started to quicken as she looked around for a sliver of light. By no means was she afraid of the dark. She just was not used to complete and total darkness. Usually her eyes would quickly adjust so that she could see. Not this time. Bra took a deep breath and slowed her breathing. _Get a hold of yourself_.

"This isn't going to work! You're gonna have to try harder than this!" she yelled into the darkness. "I will not be toyed with so easily!"

Outside the room, Cooler listened to Bra yelling at him. He smirked. _I know, little princess. However, everyone has a breaking point. How long will it take you to reach yours_?

* * *

Bulma sat on her throne. Her ladies sat below her on the steps leading to the throne, whispering amongst themselves. Bulma sat with both hands on the armrests of the large throne, her back straight, and staring out towards the door to the room. She blinked when the door opened and Eighteen walked in with Marron following her. Bulma's ladies scattered.

Eighteen walked directly up to Bulma and stopped. "There's still no word from Earth. We've tried all bases and we're getting nothing but static. The bases off-world in Earth's solar system are reporting the same thing. We have no choice but to wait until Vegeta gets back to Earth," she reported.

The queen nodded slowly. She stood up. "Come with me, Eighteen." She walked out of the throne room through the side door. Eighteen followed her and they went all the way back to Bulma's chambers. Once inside, Bulma sat down on her couch. She gestured for Eighteen to sit. "I brought you here because I need to talk to you where no one can hear. What I say is not to get back to anyone. Not even Chichi."

The blonde delegate nodded slowly. "What's so secret that you don't want even Chichi to know?"

"It isn't that I don't want Chichi to know. I just don't want her to know _**YET**_." Bulma folded her hands together. She looked up at Eighteen and took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

The other woman stared at Bulma impassively for a moment. Then she cleared her throat. "How is it that when you aren't trying it happens? You tried for eleven years and got Bra. You randomly have sex in hallways and elevators..."

"How do you know about that?" Bulma's expression was one of surprise and mortification.

"Bulma, when you and Vegeta _copulate_ it isn't a quiet affair. I'm pretty sure anyone within the halls of the stadium heard what went on in that elevator." Eighteen cracked a smile at seeing Bulma horrified face. "Still, you are aware of the dangers a pregnancy could cause, right?"

Bulma nodded. "Sure I am. I'm not an idiot, Eighteen."

"Well then why the secrecy?"

"Considering we're probably about to start an intergalactic war, a pregnancy is a bit of a hindrance to my cause. Fighting a war with child isn't exactly something one has on their list of things to do." Bulma sighed and sat back in the sofa. "Vegeta says I'm no more than a few days, maybe a week. It amazes me how he can sense a life barely beginning."

"One of the benefits of being Saiyan, I suppose. You are just going to remain here?"

"Vegeta didn't exactly give me a choice, did he? He left in the middle of the night. I've got to learn to sleep lighter. I just wish I could go look for Bra on my own. Vegeta would just say that it isn't wise and that I shouldn't even consider it. Something is clearly wrong with Cooler. Going after him could set him off." Bulma began biting her thumbnail. "I'm trying to figure out why he would take Bra and then taunt Vegeta about the situation on Earth."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes. "He did that? How would he know about what's happening on Earth?"

"No idea. Unless he's in cahoots with whoever Buu's master is, then..." Bulma's voice trailed off. She ceased chewing on her thumb as the color drained from her face. She looked at Eighteen. "Vegeta's heading into a trap," she whispered. She immediately stood up and left the room. Eighteen walked fast to catch up to her. "I've got to call Vegeta."

"Why? What's going on? How is he going into a trap?"

"It all makes sense now. The things Cooler was saying were too spot-on to just be an educated guess. He said that no one except Vegeta could possibly help Earth with the new threat. He was talking about Buu. From what Brolly told me about Buu, he's more powerful than he lets on. A lot more powerful."

When they got to the conference room to call Vegeta, they found Vegeta already on the screen talking to Bardock. Bulma hung back for a moment even though she knew Bardock knew she was there. "There are no reports of Cooler in any parts of the empire. They've been looking for that asteroid-like object you were describing. Every ship is being checked and searched in the ports on all planets within the empire as well as the Universal Alliance," Bardock was saying.

Bulma frowned and walked forward. She smiled at Bardock before turning to glare up at Vegeta. "I need to tell you something."

Vegeta glared up at her. "What, woman? I don't have time to hear you complain about me leaving you without a farewell embrace." He smirked when he got the desired reaction from her: red cheeks and a scowl to match.

"This is serious, Vegeta. I think you're walking into a trap," she said. Vegeta's leer disappeared and he narrowed his eyes at Bulma, silently telling her to explain. "Well, Cooler's words got me thinking. He knew way too much about the situation back on Earth to be taking a random shot in the dark at getting the situation right. He took Bra for more than some need to satisfy a desire for revenge. Revenge is too... basic for Cooler. He's fascinated with Bra like he was with me, so her life is in no immediate danger. However, yours is."

"And what makes he took her just to send me to my death?"

"Buu," Bulma stated simply. "The only one Buu really gives a damn about is Bra. The only reason he hasn't completed whatever mission his master gave him was because Bra befriended him and asked him to spare us. What if his master has gotten him back under his spell? That could be why we can't get in touch with Earth. Something awful has happened there, Vegeta. I'm sure of it."

Vegeta snorted. "Woman, there were several battalions on Earth. I doubt that pink thing could mow through that many Saiyan Elites and First-Class. You sell your own army short," he said.

"No, I don't. Buu was beating the tar out of Brolly before Bra stopped him. I don't like this situation, Vegeta. I don't like you going in blind."

"Your concern is duly noted. However blind I may be going in, I still have to regardless. I cannot leave Earth defenseless. I will call you back before I land in East City." He ended the transmission abruptly and before Bulma could protest further. However, the king returned back to his seat in the control room of his ship pondering his wife's hypothesis.

_If any of this rings true, Cooler knew exactly what he was doing by stealing the bratling. He'll pay with his life for that_. Vegeta sat staring off into space for a few minutes before looking down from his raised seat at his son.

As if sensing Vegeta's eyes on him, Trunks turned to look at his father. Vegeta was indeed burning holes into his body. Trunks made his way over to his father and sat down in the seat that was designated for him. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm thinking of sending you on a mission."

Trunks frowned. "You're thinking of keeping me away from the fighting."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "I'm thinking of keeping the realm safe." He looked away from his son. "I want you to go to Namek. Ask to see the Grand Elder. Tell him of this predicament. Heed his advice and then prepare to wait for word from either me or your mother," he said.

"I'm not leaving, Father."

"You will. If you won't listen to your father, then listen to your _**KING**_ and _**COMMANDING OFFICER**_." Vegeta stood up to leave. "You're leaving after dinner. Take your friend with you." The king left with his cape billowing out behind him.

Trunks' bottom lip quivered much like his mother's did when she was holding back something very vicious. Instead of speaking, Trunks sat back in his seat and glowered out at the soldiers hustling about, still trying to get in touch with Earth. He knew his father was looking out for the good of the empire, but what was on Namek that could help? He sighed, closed his eyes, and wondered how his sister was faring in the clutches of Cooler.

* * *

Since being left alone, Bra's chains had released her from the ceiling. While she was still bound, she tried to scoot towards the wall. It took her quite a while to find it. When she did, she pulled her knees up to her chest and waited. Every now and then she would attempt to break the chains. It did not take her long to realize why she felt so weak.

She was hungry. Bra had not eaten since her breakfast... _How many days ago was that? I can't tell how long I've been in here. How long was I asleep when I was taken? Does Cooler just plan on starving me_?

Her questions were answered when the door to the dark room opened. Bra shielded her eyes against the bright light. She blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to adjust. Then she smelled it. There was food just outside that door. She slowly got to her feet and walked towards the opening. Bra was concentrating on the smell so much that she barely noticed her chains giving way. She stepped through the opening and saw a feast laid out on a high dais. She licked her dry, cracked lips. The first thing she eyed was the pitcher of water. It was hard to do anything with being dehydration but she was prepared to scale anything to quench her thirst.

Before the princess got any closer to what she supposed was her meal, a trapdoor opened in front of her. She jumped back, startled by the sudden movement beneath her feet. She watched as a familiar face rose from the large hole. Her shoulders slumped.

"_If you want to eat, you'll have to work for your meal_!" Cooler's voice boomed over an intercom.

Bra rolled her eyes. She glared back up at her opposition: Recoome. _I'm going to die_.


	20. Chapter 20: The Sky Is Falling

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 20: The Sky Is Falling**

* * *

Bulma paced back and forth as her techs kept trying to reach Earth. She had been calling them every waking hour for six days. _Vegeta should be reaching Earth in another day. Surely he'll report to me what's happened_, she thought. She stopped walking and shook her head. _No. He'll wait until the time suits him_.

"Queen Bulma?" one of her techs called. Bulma faced him as he turned to look at her. "The reason we're not getting any response is that the signal isn't reaching anything," he said.

The queen frowned. "Send out an imaging scan."

"That could take hours..."

"Just do it." Bulma turned and left the room. She went in search of Eighteen. She found the blonde in the conservatory. She was sitting in the seat of the telescope. Bulma blinked, wondering how Eighteen got up to the high seat. "What are you doing?"

Eighteen did not flinch at the sudden sound of Bulma's voice. "Looking at Earth. I've never seen it from space. It looks like a marble from here," she said. She looked away from the lens and down at Bulma. "Why did you come here? Can you still not reach Earth?"

Bulma shook her head. "No. All we keep getting is static. I've told Vegeta and he just keeps telling me not to worry. So, I told the techs to do an imaging scan."

The Head Delegate raised an eyebrow. "An imaging scan? Why are you doing one of those? That wouldn't tell you much except that Earth is..." She trailed off. "You don't think..."

The queen stopped her by holding up a hand. "I'm only doing it as a precaution. The results should be up in a few hours. Until then, I have nothing to do." Bulma sat on a stone. "I wish I knew how my baby is doing..."

* * *

Cooler stared at a little screen in his chambers. On the screen was the princess in the cell he kept her locked up in. She was sleeping now. The princess spent most of her time sleeping or banging on the various walls of the cell, trying to get out. Not once did she scream. While he found her silent temper tantrums pleasing, Cooler was most intrigued when Bra simply slept. Her face was so peaceful. She reminded him most of Bulma when she was asleep. While she was awake, her eyes held all the cold fire Vegeta's did. "You are indeed a special little thing, aren't you? So sweet and innocent, but with the power of a goddess within you," he whispered. He let his mind drift back to a few days before; when Bra had to fight for her meal.

_Bra's best weapons were her legs. It became blatantly obvious to Cooler that she preferred "hand-to-foot" combat. It also could have something to do with the fact that Recoome had broken her right arm. It hung limply at her side while she moved around, evading attacks. She managed to knock Recoome silly a few times with well-placed attacks, but it was never anything more than to stun him momentarily. Clearly starving a Saiyan was a very effective way of keeping one weakened._

_ The princess got caught eventually. She was fast, but in her weakened state Recoome was faster. He caught her around her neck. "Let me go, you buffoon!" she yelled at him as she twisted and tried to pull away from him. Recoome just held her at an arm's length and watched her with an amused look on his face. Bra frowned. "I said let me go!" She lifted her legs and kicked away from him._

_ Recoome, clearly shocked by the kick, released Bra and put a hand to his chest. That was easily the hardest she'd hit him the entire time they'd been fighting. Up in the observation area, Cooler watched closely as the princess stood to her feet again. Her body language had changed. _This could be it_..._

_ Bra, huffing and puffing, glanced up at the food on the high dais. The water caught her eye once again. She began walking towards it. Recoome noticed what she was doing. He lumbered over to her in order to stop her. The moment he reached for her, Bra was gone. He blinked and looked around for her. Then he was kissing the metal ground. Bra had kicked him in the back of his head. Before he could sit up, Bra's knee landed in the back of his skull, crushing it._

Cooler smiled at the memory of Bra standing up with blood and shards of Recoome's skull on her knee. She had appeared completely unfazed by it. As if nothing stomach-churning had just occurred, Bra went to the dais and chugged the entire pitcher of water down. Then she had begun eating ravenously. _Those legs of hers are indeed lethal. With just the right amount of provocation, she'll do anything to survive. It is a shame that she actually killed Recoome, though. He was such a reliable soldier_, he thought with a shrug. _Perhaps I could have a little more fun with her than I did her mother_...

* * *

Trunks stepped out of his pod a few moments after landing on Namek. All he knew about the planet was that he was born on it and that Frieza had been defeated on it. Other than that, he knew absolutely nothing. _Well, Gohan's friend at the science department on Earth is from here. I've never thought to ask him about this place, though_. The prince flew up and out of the crater his pod created upon landing. After the soft landings on special pads of the bases in the empire, landing in a crater was most unpleasant on his body.

Goten joined his friend out of his own crater. He was fastening a scouter to his eye. "The levels on this planet are ridiculously low. I'm having a hard time even sensing them. How do we know where the Grand Elder is?" he asked.

"Father said that the Nameks can suppress their power to almost nothing. We might have to do a little searching. Come on." Just as Trunks and Goten took off, they halted as another being levitated before them. Trunks thought he looked vaguely familiar; like someone he knew from a dream.

"It's been a very long time, young prince. Follow me," the Namek said. He turned and flew off. Goten and Trunks exchanged confused glances but followed the other quickly.

They were led to a tall structure with a bubble-like window at the top. The whole area seemed familiar to Trunks, but he could not place how he knew it. He chalked it up to being his fragmented memories as a baby. After all, he was born on Namek. The Namek led them inside the building and they entered an elevator. It took them to the highest floor and when the two young demi-Saiyans stepped out, they were temporarily taken aback.

"It has been a long time, Prince Trunks. The last time I saw you, you were nothing but a babe only a week or two old." The large Namek in the center of the room spoke in a deep voice. Trunks stared up at him with his mouth hanging open. He had not expected him to be so large. "I am the Grand Elder, as you are wondering. You needn't be frightened of me, young prince. I'm no more a threat to you than a blade of grass outside."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "You knew we were coming?"

"Of course. I figured your father would send you somewhere he knew you would be safe. His intentions were to save at least one child if he cannot save both," he said.

"What?" Goten stepped up beside Trunks. "Why wouldn't he be able to save both of them? Why wouldn't he be able to save Bra?" he asked loudly.

"The king is filled with uncertainty at this time. Even I am uncertain he will survive this oncoming battle. Your sister is very strong in her own right, but she's in the grasp of one who is blinded by his crazed obsession with your mother. The young princess will fight with all her might, but she will also suffer greatly."

"Suffer? Suffer like how? What will Cooler do to her?"

The Grand Elder sighed deeply, not really wanting to continue. However, he knew the teenagers would want every bit of information he knew. "Physically she will probably be all right. Her mental state is a different matter altogether. She will never be the same after this trial."

Trunks frowned. He pushed all thoughts of what might be happening to his sister aside for the time being. He would see to it that Cooler suffered for whatever he was doing to his younger sister. He focused his attention on his father. "What about my father? Who or what is this new enemy that threatens us?"

"An enemy with great power. I cannot reveal the future, young prince. However, I can tell you one thing."

"What's that?"

"Just like every empire rises, every empire falls."

The cryptic message unsettled Trunks completely. He nodded at the Grand Elder and then decided he needed to leave. Goten followed him out of the tower and they took off back to their pods.

* * *

Vegeta stood looking at Earth from the control room. The planet that appeared as a blue marble in the vacuum of space now seemed to be a red pellet. The clouds were thick. Vegeta could only assume it was a massive cloud of dust. Every now and then he would see lightning strikes. He did not flinch when Kakarrot came up next to him.

"What do you think happened?"

"Clearly it was an attack of some sort. What type of attack is beyond me. We won't know until we land." Vegeta turned away from the window only to see a soldier rushing up to him. "What is it?"

"The queen has a message for you, your majesty!"

Vegeta sighed. "Can't it wait?"

"She said it is very urgent."

The king narrowed his eyes and walked off to the control room. Kakarrot and the soldier followed. Bulma was on the big screen, wringing a piece of cloth between her fingers. Vegeta scowled up at her, noting her nervousness. _She's worrying too much. I haven't even landed on the damn planet yet_, he thought. He waited for her to notice him, which she did with a sigh.

"I know you're busy but I just called to say," Bulma relaxed her fingers, "be careful."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "_Be careful_? Woman, I'm going into battle. I'm not going to my death." It was meant to lighten the mood, but Vegeta was never very good at telling jokes. His meaning was lost to Bulma who clearly did not think it funny. Before she could raise her voice at him, he held up a hand. "Stop your senseless worrying, woman. Everything will be fine. Got it?"

Bulma bit her lip and crossed her arms. "I did an imaging scan of Earth..."

"Woman..."

"... and I found out the reason we aren't receiving any transmissions from them. The Earth is covered in what looks to be a very unstable storm. The clouds are thick and magnetized. The magnetic poles of earth have shifted slightly, which also means that the Earth's axis has also shifted. It could be the cause of the storms. Getting through those clouds will be hard on the ship's electrical circuits. You might lose complete power and end up crashing."

The control room was completely silent for a moment. Vegeta did not know much about the science of planets and whatnot, but he trusted his wife's intellect with no question. Rarely was she ever wrong. "You figured all that out with an imaging scan?"

"I wanted to be thorough. You're already going in blind, but now you're not even going to be able to see where you land."

"Is there any way you can guide us? Landing in the middle of an ocean isn't exactly conducive to our cause."

"I can try, but I don't think our connection will hold up." Bulma tapped her index finger against her chin. Then she snapped. "Relinquish the controls to your ship, Vegeta."

"Woman, if I do that I won't be able to control the ship."

"Yes. That's the point, my king." Bulma ended the transmission on her end. She could not explain what her idea was to Vegeta. He would only point out all the things that could go wrong with it. She just decided to do it without telling him. She walked to the center of her conference room and began pulling up the control scheme for Vegeta's battleship. She was going to manually control it from Vegeta-sei.

Back on Vegeta's ship, the ship jerked suddenly. The pilot of the ship looked over at the king as the ship began moving without his control. Vegeta narrowed his eyes, realizing what his wife had done. _While this is a brilliant idea, it could go wrong in so many ways_, he thought darkly. He made his way back to his chair.

"I suggest everyone strap in. The queen is not a particularly good driver."

Bulma maneuvered the ship right over where East City would be. Taking a deep breath, she began the descent. As soon as the ship entered the atmosphere, the ship began to burn. "This shouldn't be happening. I've barely breached the thermosphere." She adjusted the angle of the ship slightly. "Vegeta?"

Vegeta blinked as he heard Bulma's voice over an intercom. He thought she had ended the transmission completely. "What?"

"The Earth's temperature might be drastically different when you land. Due to the high density of the clouds, it could be a lot cooler than usual," Bulma said.

"How much cooler?" Vegeta stared out the window of the control room. They were closing in on the clouds. The closer they got, the more Vegeta could make out the lightning within them. The ship's temperature took a dive almost immediately.

"I don't know exactly. It could be just cooler than this time of year or it could be a drastic change; below freezing even. We won't know until you land... don't thi... be able... get... past... clou... The mag... vity... gre..." Bulma started to break up as they entered the clouds. The ship began to shake violently and the windows began to frost. The soldiers standing closest to it began to back away.

Kakarrot leaned over to Vegeta. "Is it really that cold? How are the clouds keeping it cold? Vegeta-sei is always covered in clouds and is never cold," he said.

Vegeta nodded. "Vegeta-sei is also much closer to its parent star than Earth is to its parent star. The planet has a naturally hotter atmosphere than Earth. Earth has what the woman calls seasons," he said.

"Wow, Vegeta. I didn't know you knew so much about cli..."

The ship shook violently, knocking several of the soldiers in the room off their feet. After another shake, the lights simply went out. The shudder of the engines stopping followed. Not even the emergency lights flickered on afterwards. All was silent as the Saiyans tried to figure out what happened. Vegeta immediately got to his feet. "I want twenty men outside to help slow the ship's descent. There's no power, so you'll have to release the lock on the ship's door manually. Earth's gravitational pull isn't that strong so the ship will not plummet as fast as it would on Vegeta-sei. Get moving!"

The room cleared within seconds, leaving Vegeta and Kakarrot alone. Kakarrot crossed his arms over his chest. "This ought to be interesting."

"Yes. I haven't had a fight in a good while..."

They braced as the ship settled on what appeared to be the landing pad of the East City palace. The moment Vegeta stepped outside, he surveyed the land. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary aside from the obvious change in the sky. However, Bulma had been right in assuming the climate change. East City was a coastal city and it rarely got too cold, but it was freezing. It was so cold that the ocean just off the shore was turning into an ice shelf. Icicles hung from the roof of the palace.

_People are still alive, though many have obviously died. I need to find Brolly and find out what went on here exactly_.

"Kakarrot, follow me."

* * *

Bra woke up on something far softer than what she remembered falling asleep on. The room she was in was also not dark. It was actually well-lit and almost too bright for her eyes. She sat up. She opened her mouth in a silent gasp as she felt the pain in her head. She noticed wires hanging down from her left side and raised her hand to where she felt the pain. There were several wires sticking out from her head. She touched them and noticed that a patch of hair had been shaved out to make room for the wires.

_What the hell is all of this? How did I get here? What's going on_? The questions flew through Bra's mind at a mind-numbing rate. The more she thought, the more the pain in her head grew. The princess took hold of the wires in her head with a firm grip. _Damnit! This hurts_! Tears sprang up in Bra's eyes as she tried to pull the wires out.

"That's not a very good thing to do, princess." Bra opened her eyes and looked towards the owner of the voice. Cooler stood across the room, watching her. She was suddenly aware that she was only covered from the waist down. She moved her arms over her chest in an effort to cover herself. Cooler just laughed at her. "Your modesty means little to me, princess. I've seen every inch of you. There is nothing left to my imagination any longer."

Bra's face scrunched up. "You're a disgusting pervert!" She winced as the pain returned. It felt as though someone was repeatedly hitting her in the side of her head. "What the hell did you do to me?"

Cooler approached Bra leisurely. When he got close enough, Bra reached out to strike him. She missed as a wave of dizziness overtook her. She slipped and fell to the floor. Cooler caught her deftly before she hit the floor. "Princess, do you know what the left brain does?"

"I don't care," Bra moaned.

"I can see that." Cooler smirked as he put Bra back in her bed properly. "The left side of your brain handles all logical thought. It helps keep you rational. You're more of a right brain personality, but that's neither here nor there." He took hold of the wires and gave them a sharp tug. Bra let out a bloodcurdling scream as he did so. He smiled. "There's that scream."

Bra groggily opened her eyes. Cooler was still talking but she could not understand him. She lashed out again, moving faster than her body should have been able to move under her condition. She took Cooler off guard and knocked him down. She shakily got to her feet and headed for the door. When she opened it, she paused at who or what stood before her.

"Ah! The little princess is awake!"

Bra took a timid step back. "Who are you?" The short little being shook its head. She heard him say something she could not understand. After that, there was nothing but pain in her head again.

Cooler walked up behind Bra as she sank to the ground. He covered her with a sheet as she slowly lost consciousness. He picked her up and deposited her back on the bed and looked down at her. "You're sure she'll be totally compliant," he said to the newcomer.

"Of course. With her under our wing, the idiot king will do anything. He'd never hurt his pride and joy."

"And what about your simple-minded beast?"

The sorcerer known as Babidi cringed at the thought of Buu. "He seems to want to be on the side of the Saiyans. I'll have to double my efforts in getting him back under my control."

Cooler hummed as he watched Bra. "You do that," he said. He watched a dark mark begin to appear on Bra's forehead. "This is going to be very fun."

* * *

Vegeta ironically found Brolly trying to send a call out into space. "You'll never get it to work. At least, not while those clouds still cover the sky," he said. Brolly turned and saw him. The large Saiyan immediately bowed. "Formalities are not required. What's happened here?"

Brolly shrugged. "I'm not clear on what happened exactly. Buu said his master was moving faster and faster here. Then one day, there was a huge explosion in West City. From what I'm told, not much is even left over there. There's nothing. A few days ago, a large silver object landed in the area."

"A silver object? The size of an asteroid?" Kakarrot asked. Brolly nodded. "Has anything come from it? Any actions been taken against it?"

"It emitted a large charge of some sort. After that, these clouds covered Earth and we lost all ability to send transmissions, although we've been trying," Brolly replied. He noticed Vegeta's expression. "You know of this craft, sire?"

"Yes. I believe it is Cooler's. He has taken the brat. If he's here, I'm going to get her and put my fist through his fucking chest cavity." Vegeta turned to leave the room. Before he got to the door, he looked back at Brolly. "What about that thing?"

"Buu? He's been in and out of the palace. I don't know where he goes but he hasn't seemed to want to kill us yet. While I'm still wary of the creature, his attitude has changed drastically since..." Brolly stopped talking as Buu entered the room.

Buu walked directly over to Vegeta. "King must not leave palace," he stated.

Vegeta appeared confused. "Is that so? Why not?"

"King will be in danger. Buu promised Bra he would take care of King. If King leaves, Buu cannot take care of King."

Vegeta stared at the shorter pink alien for a moment. "Do you know where Bra is?"

"Yes. Bra is with Buu's master. King must not go to master. Master will do bad things to Bra is king does," Buu said.

"Why don't you go get Bra then?" Kakarrot asked.

Buu shook his head. "Buu cannot."

Vegeta sighed, exasperated with the little alien's responses. "So how will we get Bra back if we can't go to her?"

"Bra will come to us."

* * *

Bulma stared out her window. She was in deep thought and biting her fingernails. After attempting to land Vegeta's ship she'd simply holed up in her bedroom. Now she was pondering the condition she would find her people in after everything was over. She had no doubt in her mind that Vegeta would get the job done. _He always does. If I were to think any other way I would be doing him a great disservice_, she thought.

"I knew I'd find you in here." Eighteen entered the room and sat down next to Bulma. "You should not sit alone with your thoughts, Bulma. You'll worry yourself to death," she said.

"You're probably right about that. I can't help but to be a little worried. I know no one is stronger than my husband." Bulma paused for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure about Buu. Brolly tells me that Buu hides his true power, so he hasn't been able to read him effectively. But that's not the point. Buu is on our side, after all."

"But isn't this Buu's master that's the problem? What if he were to somehow get Buu back on his side?"

Bulma shook her head. "Buu is extremely devoted to Bra. His loyalty amazes me. You saw how he interacted with Bra. He adores her. Hurting anyone she loves is simply out of the question to him." She stopped talking as she noticed something in the sky. "What is that?" She rose to her feet and went to the balcony. Eighteen followed and watched.

The clouds were swirling in a circular motion. Bulma and Eighteen watched as a light flashed briefly. After that, there was a humongous explosion outside of the city. The ground shook and Bulma lost her footing. Before she could fall, someone caught her from behind. Marron helped the queen back to her feet just as another explosion shook the palace. The next flash of light landed much closer to the city. The resulting explosion shattered all the windows within the area and blew the three women back inside Bulma's bedroom.

Bulma's head was killing her. She had landed against the wall. She could not hear what was going on around her. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. There were two soldiers moving in her direction. Eighteen was being picked up by one, yelling something in her daughter's direction. Marron was shrugging off the help of soldiers and moved over to Bulma. The queen noticed the worry in Marron's eyes. She tried to speak but failed to do so as the pain in her chest finally registered. Bulma looked down to see a bloody stain growing on her once-pristine green dress. She smiled calmly and looked at Marron.

"This brings back memories," she whispered before losing consciousness.


	21. Chapter 21: More Than Mind Control

**Empire: A Family Affair**

**Chapter 21: More Than Mind Control**

* * *

Vegeta sat on his bed. He was leaning forward while resting his elbows on his thighs. He was uneasy. He'd been feeling less than confident about his predicament. However, it was not because of the unknown factors on Earth. Instead, he was worried about his wife. Not being able to contact her was maddening and he did not know why.

_I've gone months without speaking to her while on missions. Why now am I suddenly feeling like this? It doesn't make sense_, the king mused. He glanced out of the terrace doors. The sky was still covered with the mysterious magnetized and electrified cloud. The wind was still as furious as ever and it was still cold. _I must get my mind together_.

Rising to his feet, Vegeta picked his cape up off the bed and hooked it on his armor. "There has to be a way to get in contact with anyone outside the Earth," he said as he headed out of his chambers. The more he mulled it over, the less he thought it possible. While Vegeta was by no means unintelligent, he was still not the brains of the duumvirate of the Saiyan Empire. Figuring out technology was not his job. "Perhaps the woman is already devising a plan..."

* * *

Eighteen stared at the healing tank with a thinly-veiled worried look on her face. Bulma had gone into it about five hours before and Eighteen had not moved from her spot. The fluid had been incredibly bloody at first, but after two hours, it had cleared up considerably. When Bulma had gone into the tank, the estimated time for healing was eight hours.

"Staring at her won't make it run any faster, Mom." Marron entered the room. "She's out of danger for now. Her healing is progressing at a fair rate," she said, trying to sound happy. The teenager's arm was in a sling. Eighteen's head was wrapped and a few cuts and bruises adorned her arms. "The wound is not as serious as it seemed."

"The severity of the wound doesn't matter. It's that Bulma was hurt to begin with. She's been dealt far worse injuries before, but they've never happened on my watch." Eighteen sighed. "I almost feel guilty."

Marron shook her head and sat next to her mother. "There was nothing you could do. We were all taken off guard by that... thing. By the way, some men were sent out to inspect the damage done. A lot of Venova was on fire, but for the most part the flames have been put out."

"Do we know what that thing was?"

Marron shook her head. "Sadly, no. There's no sign that anything was ever in the sky to create so much damage. The clouds have gone back to normal. The only way we can tell anything ever happened was the destruction it left behind," she replied.

Eighteen nodded and looked back at Bulma. The queen's eyes were still closed as she floated in the green substance. _I'd feel a lot better about this situation if Bulma was at least awake. Apparently she won't gain consciousness until after she's done_. The blonde straightened up in her seat, her eyes widening. _What about the baby_?

* * *

Trunks sat on top of his pod, chewing on some sea-faring animal that had been unlucky enough to be trapped for the prince's dinner. The prince was staring up at the sky. Worry was written all over his face. From his mother's earlier messages, he knew that he would not be able to contact his father. But transmissions had even stopped coming from his mother. His curiosity and anxiety had only tripled.

"You know, staring into space won't get anything done," Goten said from his own pod. He too was eating something he had hunted down. "Just relax. We'll get word from them sooner or later. We always do."

"I hate sitting here doing nothing. So much could be going wrong right now. I just thought Mom would've kept me in the loop. It isn't like her to not even call to check up on..." Trunks stopped when he heard a beeping coming from inside his pod. He jumped off the top and went inside. A message was waiting for him. "Goten!"

Goten came over to the pod just as Trunks turned it on. Marron's voice was heard. "_Prince Trunks, Goten. Venova was attacked earlier. Queen Bulma was injured, but it is nothing serious. She is in recovery. Delegate Eighteen has said not to worry and your mother will contact you as soon as possible. Do not leave Namek_."

Trunks frowned as the message ended. He crossed his arms. "I'm leaving." He moved to get start his pod up. Goten quickly put his hand on the controls. "Move it, Goten."

"No, Trunks. Both your parents and Eighteen said to stay here. I don't like it any more than you do. My mom and Gohan are on Earth. I care about Bra as well. Your father can't protect you and save your sister at the same time. He needs total concentration. Contrary to what you might think, he values your life more than anyone else's at this stage," Goten said.

The prince just stared at his friend. Then he narrowed his eyes. "How do you figure that? This is the same man who is telling me to kill him in order to become king. Besides, everyone knows I'll never be able to beat Father."

"You're his heir, Trunks. Losing his only son is simply out of the question. Now just sit back and wait. We'll know more soon enough."

_I hate when he's the level-headed one. Usually, that's my job_, Trunks thought as he relaxed back in his seat. Being on a strange world with virtually no link to the outside galaxy was starting to take its toll on his sanity. He needed to see his family to know they were all right. Their voices were not good enough.

* * *

"Did I die again?" Bulma was immediately blunt with the purple-skinned, fair-haired person before her. His eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. Bulma nodded. "This place looks different than where I was 17 years ago. Is it because I died on Namek last time?"

"Um, no. This isn't the afterlife or even close to it. You're still very much alive, albeit unconscious. This is not your physical body, but a projection of how you see yourself," the smaller being said.

"Oh. So who are you?"

"I'm the Supreme Kai. You can call me Kai, though."

"Supreme Kai? So, you're like a god or something?"

Kai nodded. "I suppose. There are four Kais that govern the galaxy you live in, each taking a cardinal direction. Then there is a Kai that governs the entire galaxy. He is called the Grand Kai. Then there's me. As the Supreme Kai, I govern the universe."

Bulma stared at the smaller man. Had they been standing, he would have not been that much smaller than her. He resembled a teenager more than anything. How could he be ruler of the universe? "Why are you talking to little, ol' me? I'm important in my galaxy, but not so important that the supreme being of the universe should be in my company."

"Is that what you truly think?" he asked. Bulma shrugged. "Queen Bulma, you are the greatest mind that the universe has ever seen and will probably ever see. There will most likely not be another to surpass your sheer intellect."

"Kai, you didn't call me here just to praise my brain. Although flattery is always very welcome, tell me what the real issue is."

Kai nodded. "Do you know of your daughter's predicament, Bulma?"

Bulma's eyes widened slowly. "I know Cooler took her. I don't know her whereabouts or what he's doing to her." She looked away from Kai. "Can you tell me?"

"I can."

"Then..."

"She is on Earth."

Bulma stared blankly at Kai for a moment. "Earth? Vegeta has saved her already?"

Kai shook his head. "I never said she was with her father. The princess is on Earth. However, she is still within the clutches of the enemy. This is an enemy that has given trouble to even we Kais. His name is Babidi. He is a dangerous sorcerer and he will be most difficult to defeat. I was shocked to see that his greatest weapon has been swayed by your daughter."

"Greatest weapon? You mean Buu?"

"Yes. Buu is a being that is very impressionable. He does what he wants, but you'd be surprised what he can attach himself to. He sees your daughter as a friend, so to say. Not even Babidi's magic can deter him from protecting her or those she loves." Kai sighed. "However, Buu is simple-minded. As such, he takes things very literally; words in their simplest form. He looks for no deeper meaning. Bra told him to protect her family. What she did not tell you is that she told him to protect you all from even her."

"Protect us from her? Why would we need to be protected from Bra? She would never hurt us," Bulma said. "Besides, that goes in direct conflict with what Bra told Buu in the first place."

"No it doesn't. Buu chose to protect Bra. In choosing that, he also chose to listen to her plea of protecting her family. He will do that at all costs."

Bulma felt her mental mouth run dry. "He will kill her if it came down to it," she whispered. Kai nodded. "But why would..."

"Babidi has the power to control minds. Your daughter's mind is a strong one. However, Babidi's influence can be even stronger. Bra might not fall directly under his spell, but part of her will be controlled while part of her will fight him off."

"Her personality will split."

"Exactly. She will cope with the trauma by creating an alter-ego; one that fears nothing and does anything."

Bulma nodded. "Kai, you still haven't told me why I am here. I could be helping my family. I should be healed by now."

"Bulma, I want you to stay in the healing tank for this reason." Kai reached forward and placed a hand on her womb. Bulma glanced down to see she was very pregnant. "You are not this far along yet, but this is how you are seeing yourself now. You need to be safe at all costs. This child needs to be safe."

"I don't understand. Why is my baby important?"

"I cannot directly tell you, but let's just say that this baby, this son of yours will one day be the savior of us all."

Bulma could not help but smile. "You make him sound like some sort of messiah. You do know that staying inside the tank will accelerate my pregnancy, right?" she said with a small giggle. Kai only grinned back at her. "Well played, Kai. Well played indeed. By the way, what attacked Vegeta-sei?"

* * *

Eighteen's eyes slowly opened and let the invading light of the room in. She could hear a commotion in front of her and sat up straight. Some doctors were standing in front of Bulma's tank. Eighteen was immediately more alert. She stood and pushed through the doctors. Bulma was awake. "Let her out," Eighteen said. Bulma shook her head fiercely. "Wait. Why?"

The queen slumped her shoulders. Then her eyes lit up with an idea. She started tapping on the glass. At first, Eighteen had no idea what she was doing. Then it became clear. It was a type of code she learned to decode with Bulma in case of emergencies. She listened clearly. Then she looked at Bulma.

"Leave you in there? Why? For how long?" Eighteen listened as Bulma relayed a somewhat odd story back to her. In the back of her mind, Eighteen thought it was ludicrous. However, seeing how Bulma had actually died, seeing the supreme being of the universe while unconscious was actually not that hard to believe. Bulma tended to have adventures like that. "Well, if you're sure."

Bulma nodded inside the tank. She watched Eighteen talk to the doctors around her. Once they were gone, Bulma tapped another message out to Eighteen. Eighteen's eyes narrowed before she nodded and left the room as well. _Vegeta was right about Garlic. He sure can call them, can't he_? She thought before closing her eyes. _I just hope he doesn't get too angry about Trunks being called back here_.

* * *

Buu looked up from his food suddenly. Vegeta glanced over at him, noticing the unexpected movement. Not much could deter Buu from his sweets. Something had piqued his interest nonetheless. Before the king could ask, Buu spoke. "She comes. King will not go."

Vegeta already knew he was talking about Bra. Buu had managed to stop him every time he tried to go save his daughter, saying that it was not possible. "So are we just supposed to wait for her to come for us?" Buu shook his head. "Then I send someone out?"

"Send strong ones. Weak ones, Bra will kill," Buu said. The king nodded and looked at Brolly and Kakarrot. Before the two could leave, Buu stopped Kakarrot. "You must not go."

"Why not?"

"Bra said so."

After a long moment of silence, someone stepped forward. "I'll go," Turles said.

Up until now, Vegeta had not even realized that Turles was there. "How did you get here?"

"I was sent here for some supplies when I got stuck on the planet. I can only imagine what Denni is doing right now since she can't get through to me. I know she's probably infuriated," he said, looking as though he actually wanted to stay on Earth. "I'll go with Brolly to meet the princess."

Vegeta shrugged. "Fine. Just don't hurt her more than necessary."

* * *

The princess was wearing a blood red cloak as she trudged through the deserted streets of West City. People stayed indoors, choosing to watch the princess from afar. Bra paid them no mind. She had no real target, as she could feel them closing in on her. She stopped in an open court where vendors usually set up shop. She stopped on one side of it and waited.

Brolly landed in front of Bra about five minutes later. With him were Turles and two other strong elites. "We don't know what the princess is capable of yet. Try to reason with her first," Brolly said quietly.

"Reason with me? Why would you want to do that?" Bra asked. Her voice was unfamiliar to Brolly. Bra's voice was usually deceptively sweet. There was always a hint of playfulness in it. The voice she used now was cold and dead. There was no emotion. It was almost as if a different person was speaking.

"Princess, your father would like you to see him." Brolly tried to get a clear view of her face, but all he could make out was the lower half of it. "He wants to know that you're okay." He nodded at the other two elites next to him.

Just as the two soldiers each took a single step towards the princess, she moved. One of the soldiers narrowly avoided her while the other let out a hoarse yelp as she grabbed hold of his neck. Brolly and Turles jumped back reflexively. They both saw the Bra had not only taken hold of the soldier's neck, but her hand was inside his neck. With one jerk of her hand, she ripped a portion of his spine out along with his trachea. The soldier crumpled to the ground, blood spilling everywhere.

"What the hell?" Turles whispered. He looked over at Brolly.

The other Saiyan was watching the princess with narrowed eyes. She was definitely not herself. Bra was violent at times, but never so violent she ripped off body parts. _Well, there were a few incidents when she shot off limbs, but that was before she learned control of her power_, Brolly rationalized.

Bra stared at the bloody body parts she held. She dropped them on the ground and looked back at the others. The other elite soldier looked as though he wanted to bolt. She took another step but stopped her advance before it began in earnest. She blinked a few times and looked down at her hands. Then she looked up at Brolly.

Brolly recognized the look in Bra's eyes. It was the same look she gave when she was mortified at something that happened in front of her. Brolly could only assume that Bra had come to her senses. He took a deep breath before stepping towards the princess. "Princess, are you well?"

"Brolly?" Bra whispered. She looked at her hands again. "What... What did I do?" Bra caught sight of the dead soldier on the ground. She saw what she had torn out of him. Bra began trembling and began backing away from them.

"Princess, it's okay. Come with me. We'll go see the king," Brolly said. He was trying to sound gentle, but he knew he was failing horribly. For all the Saiyan characteristics Bra possessed, she was still half human and very emotional. He did not know what her mental state was exactly, but he could tell she was nowhere near sane at the moment.

At the mention of her father, Bra seemed to come back down to the ground. She looked up at the sky. "Daddy? Where's Daddy?" she asked. She started to walk towards Brolly. Just as she did, she dropped to her knees, screaming in pain. Her hands went to her head.

"_**KILL THEM! KILL ALL OF THEM!**_" yelled the voice in Bra's head. The voice seemed very familiar, but she could not place where she heard it from. "_**KILL THEM NOW!**_"

It felt like something was trying to fight its way out of her skull. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Bra vaguely heard Brolly and Turles calling to her. Their voices were drowned out by the voice in her head. She belatedly realized that she was screaming. She got to her feet, still squeezing her eyes shut.

"Princess Bra!" Brolly yelled. Turles tapped him on the shoulder. They both looked towards the sky to see the electrified clouds swirling above them. Lightning flashes blinded them and thunder rolled. The wind was beginning to pick up.

"Is this her doing?" Turles asked. He watched Brolly shrug and shake his head. They were both shocked when Bra threw her head back, screaming louder than should be humanly possible. The amount of energy she was releasing was staggering.

* * *

Vegeta's frown became a deep scowl. He stood up from his meditative position in his training room. Kakarrot had suggested he meditate to stay calm. Meditation only made him more aware of what was going on with his daughter. Right now her power was out of control. At the rate her power-up was going, she would kill herself by literally exploding. Something was strange about the energy Bra was giving off as well.

_Her maximum has never been that high. She is drawing power from some other force. Her body is not mature enough for that kind of power_, he thought. Vegeta left the training room. He went right for the entrance to the castle. Predictably, Kakarrot and Buu were standing there.

"You can't go, Vegeta," Kakarrot said.

"She's going to die if someone doesn't stop her. She can't handle that much power. It isn't natural," Vegeta said. He got ready to take off but he was tackled by Kakarrot. "Kakarrot, what the hell..."

"You are far too distracted to even spar right now. There's no way I should've been able to do this. You're not going. Bra will be fine." Kakarrot stood up and offered his hand to Vegeta. Vegeta disregarded it and got up on his own. "Just wait. Brolly and Turles will calm her down."

Vegeta hated when Kakarrot made even a lick of sense. _He's right. I should've expected that. I also should've left through another exit. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I not thinking straight_?

* * *

Cooler watched the insect-like warlock feed power into the purple glass ball that Babidi kept with him at all times. He was curious about where Babidi got the power from. The little magician never did explain that. All Cooler knew was that he could control Bra's mind and that it was extremely painful. "Why is this hurting her?" he asked.

"She's fighting me. If she'd just listen to what I say, she wouldn't be in any pain. Do not fret. I'm not going to feed her more power than she can handle. It'll be just enough so that she remembers who's boss," Babidi replied.

The metallic changeling grunted in response. He found it peculiar that Bra was fighting him off. _Although I shouldn't expect anything less. After all, she is her mother's daughter_, he mused.

Babidi would not admit it, but controlling Bra was proving to be almost as hard as controlling Buu. He could only assume that was why Bra was able to "break the spell" he had over Buu. _The power of friendship_ seemed like a juvenile idea, but it might have had some merit if Bra could gain Buu's loyalty so easily.

"What is she going to do with all that energy?" Cooler asked.

"Well it can't very stay inside of her, can it? When something fills to the brim, what happens?" Babidi gave him a sideways glance.

* * *

Bra's stepped back and fell to her knees again. She opened one eye and looked up at Brolly and Turles. "Get away from me!" she yelled.

"Princess, my orders did not include abandoning you," Brolly said simply. He started walking towards her. The power she was giving off had a certain warmth to it that was both natural and unnatural for a Saiyan. Heat was natural. The temperature of the heat was what was strange.

"Brolly, I'm trying really hard to control myself right now. I don't know how much longer I can..."

"_**DO IT! DO IT NOW! LET IT ALL GO!**_"

Bra clapped her hands over her ears and closed her eyes again. She got to her feet. "You want me to do it? You want me to let it out? I'll do just that." Bra looked at Brolly. "Don't follow me." She jumped up and flew high into the sky.

Brolly watched as she disappeared through the clouds. The brawny Saiyan shot up into the air after her, yelling down at Turles to wait for them to return. The Saiyan princess was fast and clearly unstable. The last thing he needed was for Turles to not be able to report back to King Vegeta.

Bra was still flying up. She might not have been stronger than Brolly, but she knew she could fly faster than him. She felt as if her body was about to explode. She had to release the energy she had in her body. She did not know what would happen when she did. That was a mystery. All she knew was that she would prefer to release it away from people.

The princess flew higher and exited the mass of stormy clouds. She flew a little higher before she gasped. She had never flown this high before. Compared to the Earth's already cooled climate, it was downright freezing this high up. She could see the sun, which she considered a good thing. _I have to be at least thirty miles up. No one should be able to get hurt up here_, she thought. Bra noticed she was breathing harder than usual. She was not tired; the air was just so thin. _I can't stay up here for too long or I'll pass out_.

"Princess!" Brolly came through the clouds. He flew up and attempted to grab her. Bra moved out of the way. "Princess, come back. I'll take you to your..."

"I can't go to Daddy like this! I'll kill him! Even if I manage to get there, Buu will... stop me. Now go away, Brolly," Bra said, trying to keep her voice even. She was on the verge of tears. She flew a bit higher so that she was looking down at him.

"Princess..."

"_**GO AWAY!**_" Bra screamed. She released a portion of her energy, knocking Brolly out of the sky. "I'm sorry..."

The release came easier than she thought. All she had to do was simply relax. Bra thought it was painless until she felt the burning sensation. It felt as though her body had been set on fire. She could not see past the light of her own energy. Before passing out, she vaguely wondered if she could be seen from space.

Turles was pushed to his knees as a wave of energy hit the ground. Some of the buildings in the town were caught in the blast, creating a small crater. Once it stopped, Brolly hit the ground, creating his own crater inside the one Turles and half the town were in. Before Turles could move for Brolly, he was again brought to his knees by another wave. He managed to look up in the sky to see a bright light shining through the clouds.

"Damnit! Is that the princess?"

* * *

"Yes. That's all the power I put into her," Babidi said.

Cooler crossed his arms. "That didn't kill her, did it?"

Babidi glared at Cooler. "Of course not! Why would I do something like that? We need her alive, do we not? She's of absolutely no use to me dead. Buu would never attack her, so she is vital to this plan," he said. He faced his ball again just as the light was dying down. Bra's small body was coming into view again. She began falling, unconscious. Right before she hit the ground, she was caught by one of the soldiers Brolly had brought with him. "And now the fun begins."

* * *

Buu opened his eyes as Brolly and Turles were coming into view. Turles was holding Brolly up. Apparently it was hard for the larger Saiyan to fly on his own. Buu also noticed the other soldier holding the princess in a fireman's carry. The pink alien leaned up off the wall of the palace. Bra looked to be out cold.

Kakarrot was the first to meet them. "Is everything all right? Is Bra okay? What happened out there?"

Turles helped Brolly to the ground. "Enough questions, Kakarrot. Can we at least get settled before you start jabbering on with an interrogation?" He passed off Brolly to some waiting soldiers. "Get him into a tank."

"You bring Bra here. Why?" Buu asked.

"She's unconscious. We were just supposed to leave her in the middle of nowhere like that?" Turles asked, glaring at the shorter alien.

Buu shook his head. "Bra must not be here. The king is in danger."

"Yeah? Well, I think he values his daughter's life slightly more than he values his own. Get the princess to a tank as well!" Turles yelled to the soldier carrying Bra.

* * *

"Trunks, how long does it take to get to Vegeta-sei from here?" Goten asked as they prepared for take-off in their respective pods.

"I don't know. A few days maybe. I'm surprised Eighteen called us back," Trunks responded. Eighteen had declined to share any details as to why she was calling the two demi-Saiyans back except that Bulma had personally requested it. "I just wonder why Mom didn't tell me herself."

"I'm sure she's fine. I'm just happy to be off this planet. But, what are we supposed to say when King Vegeta finds out? He'll be incredibly angry." Goten started up his pod.

"Meh. He'll just have to deal," Trunks said with a smile. "Let's get going."

* * *

Vegeta was pissed. He was being banned from seeing his daughter while she was in the tanks. Kakarrot was right. He could not go near her until they were sure she was of no danger to him. Buu had made a pretty convincing argument that he was not going to allow Vegeta anywhere near the princess. The king rubbed his right jaw. There was a bruise forming fast. _I can't believe that sniveling weasel hit me. He's lucky my daughter seems to be attached to him or I would've blasted his pink ass to hell and back_, he thought angrily.

Instead, he spent hours pacing through his wife's labs. He guessed about five hours had passed as it was starting to grow dark outside. The light had dimmed drastically in the lab and Vegeta's stomach growled. He it was best that he seek nourishment. If push came to shove and he did end up in a fight, it would not do to be to be famished. Saiyans did not function well on an empty stomach.

* * *

Turles watched a few doctors examine the mark on Bra's head. While they had been outside, he had not noticed it. Up close, he could see that a patch of her hair had been shaved and what looked like a tattoo had taken her hair's place. He just knew nothing would come of the mark.

"Hey, Turles!" Kakarrot entered the room loudly. "Let's go get something to eat. Vegeta's already down in the kitchens," he said.

The other Saiyan nodded. "I suppose. She doesn't look like she'll wake up for a while." Turles turned and left the room with Kakarrot.

It was ten minutes later when Bra's eyes popped open.


End file.
